FFX2 Past and Present combined
by aer-seph4eva
Summary: UPDATE! SHUYIN.YUNA.TIDUS triangle. What happens if the Fayth (at the end of the game) misinterpreted Yuna’s wishes and brought back Shuyin instead of Tidus?
1. Default Chapter

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FFX-2 101% Past and Present combined

Chapter 1

After the dream ended. 

Yuna/Tidus

Shuyin/Lenne

Shuyin/Yuna

Hi, I'm **Aer_seph4eva **and this is my new **FFX-2 **fic, which will feature **_Shuyin_** and **_Yuna_** as a **couple**. *Hears a few readers gasp and pick up mallets to destroy this fic.* Now this fic is set after the game. Like that of the 100% ending but with a one difference. Let's just say that this ending is for those who completed the game with 101%. 

This has always been a odd idea for me......

What happens if the Fayth misinterpreted Yuna's wishers and brought back Shuyin instead of Tidus? 

....Oh and be aware towards the end of the first chapter, a few of you may be tempted to strangle a certain **real **blond haired Blitzballer.

Happy reading.......on with the fic.......

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"Brother faster! faster!" Yuna squealed out in amusement, feeling the fresh wind brush past her face. Her lips curled up in a smile of utter bliss. Everything was over. There were no more wars. No more fighting. Everyone was getting along. Vegnagun was destroyed and Shuyin had reunited with his beloved Lenne.

'And that Fayth.... He said that he would try and bring him back to me.' Yuna couldn't help up hug herself with glee, turning to look over at her friends Paine and Rikku who smiled her the brunette's elation. She was finally going home. Back to Besaid.

"Hurry up Brother!" Yuna shouted out again, her eyes following a flock of passing seagulls which squawked at being out run by the flying machina.

"ROOGGGGGGEERRRRRR!" The blond captain screeched in the Auto-com, half deafening Paine in the process while Rikku and Yuna gave knowing glances at one another, and stared out at the flying scenery. The Celsius sped ever faster, that the sandy islands of Besaid could be seen beneath the clouds.

"Look look!" Rikku cried out prodding Yuna gently on her arm. "There's Wakka and Lulu. And is that their baby?"

Yuna squinted trying to look past the passing clouds and to the two familiar figures standing upon the distant shore. Yuna's smile widened as the airship pulled ever closer.

"Yes! Yes it is!" Yuna responded to the giggly blonde, who was waving her hands in excitement, in an attempt for the Besaid residents to see her.

"Humph, do you think he has finally decided to give his son a name, or will it always be known as Baby?" Paine mused, but even she couldn't help but smile from her efforts. After all, her friends, were all reunited once more, and she now had time to relax. 'And perhaps have a stiff drink while I'm at it.' 

Yuna turned towards the dark warrior. "Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough!" Her thoughts were soon lost as the Celsius was hastily plummeted down towards the ground.

"Gullwings, get off the deck! We're landing!" Buddy called out, as the women nodded an affirmative, racing towards the bridge before the airship made a pass over the beach, towards a clear landing site, and landing down safely.

As Yuna, Paine and Rikku made their way off the ship, they were more than shocked at the crowd which welcomed them with such a loud cheer that Yuna thought her ears were ringing. Her eyes scanned the crowd eyeing the familiar faces, but more precisely, searching for her two elder guardians. Her eyes locked onto the familiar wisp of ginger hair, and for a moment her eyes locked at Wakka's face of happiness, who was now pushing past all the residents and was grinning one of his Wakka like grins. His arms held akimbo.

"Now what do we have here. A trio of Heroes?" The burly Blitzballer beamed jogging up towards the girls, giving Yuna and Rikku a tight hug, and a Paine a firm handshake, due to her extremely chilling glare which promised unbelievable pain if he even attempted to touch her.

"It's Heroines Wakka." Lulu said dryly as she walked through the crowd which seemed to part within her presence, a small careful bundle held in her hands.

Wakka scratched the back of his head with a small sigh, waiting for his wife to reach his side. Lulu looked up at her husband for a moment, with a frown which quickly dissipated into a small grin as she felt a small tug of her braid from a certain giggling baby boy.

"My hair is not a toy little one." Lulu carefully pulled away the chubby digits from her braids with carefulness, which proved futile as the baby followed the movement Lulu's hair and grasped it within a tight grip. Well, as tight as a baby can grip.

Wakka grinned all the while at his family that he knew he loved more than anything. "Hey Lu...let me give him this.." the red head stated. He reached into his pocket and pulling out a small rattle that had a Blitzball for it's centre. Shaking the baby toy until large honey eyes peeked up from a tuft of red hair, Wakka tapped his gift upon the baby's nose, causing his child to giggle as he grasped the small handle.

"Hey. Leave your mother's hair alone, ya. This is better to chew on."

The baby giggled at the new toy, and began chewing it with delight. Lulu couldn't help but roll her eyes in delight as she rocked her baby in her arms.

"I bet you can't wait for him to be old enough, so he can hold a Blitzball." The black mage said with amusement, causing her husband to weakly laugh as he held his arms out behind him. "Well it can't hurt to try, ya?" 

"Awwwww. How adorable." Yuna and Rikku simultaneously cooed, each going alongside Lulu's arms, and making silly faces at the new born in an attempt to make him laugh. Paine merely turned her head away at the spectacle. She was after all, not too fond of children, although she had to admit that Wakka's child was rather adorable. Or was it merely the father?

"So... have you decided upon a name Wakka?" Rikku asked, nudging the Blitzballer's arm.

"You betcha. Me and Lu....."

Wakka's wife gave him a stern look. "It is Lu and 'Me' Wakka."

"That's what I said ." Wakka protested, but carried out regardless. "Me and Lu decided that the best name for our baby is.....well, it is..... You see we did not want to forget the past. Yet we wanted to keep open to the future ya?. And the other name that I chose, Lulu said wouldn't fit."

"What was it?" Rikku pressed. "Was it Wakka junior or something?"

Lulu shook her head. "I may tell you at another time." 

"It's Chappu."

Yuna and Rikku blinked. " Wha? Chappu?"

Wakka scratched the back of his head yet a gain. A becoming habit after being around his female friends.

Yuna was stilled into silence. "Wakka...are you sure that it the right thing to do?" The Ex-Summoner said after a moment, knowing how much meaning Chappu meant to both of them.

Wakka's smile slipped off his face for a moment, turning his attention back to the gurgling bundle in his love's arms. "Yeah...Me and Lu have been thinking about it. And we both agreed that it fitted him. I think Chappu would have been proud to have my first baby named after him!"

Yuna looked at the couple, and nodded to herself. "Alright then, Chappu it is. Congratulations Wakka. You have completed your first mission of becoming a Daddy." The brunette responded happily ash she clasped her hands together while Rikku clapped the 'daddy' on the back.

"His next 'mission' will be learning how to change nappies." Lulu then said after a moment, causing Wakka's smile to falter, and erupt a set of giggles from herself, Yuna and Rikku. Paine snorted with amusement, turning to look at the shocked male before turning her head away and staring in the direction of the Celsius ship.

"Well....er....he...he...." Wakka began in horrified embarrassment, watching an evil amber glint cross his wife's eyes.

"Urr.....Anywho... Yuna, I almost forgot. We have got a very special prize for you." The red head said, his face relaxing from its trauma state.

Yuna blinked. "A prize?"

Wakka laughed and scratched the back of his head, as he though how he would respond to be called as a prize. "Well more of a him. He travelled far away just to meet you. He is so exhausted that he had to rest up in 'my' bed."

Yuna's heart froze in her chest. "A him? Who is it Wakka?"

"He's sleeping in the hut and hey...." Wakka was instantly cut off as a sudden flash of blue and white passed him and made its way hastily into town.

"Who is it Lulu?" Rikku pressed on, tugging on Lulu's hair much like how Chappu did earlier.

The mage, did not more her eyes from the child in her arms. "It is an old friend."

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She couldn't help but slam the door open, but what she saw made her eyes water, and her mouth tremble at the sight before her. It was certainly what she did not expect but, in a sense it was more possible than what she wished to be there. She had to fight back the sob as Kimahri turned his head at her from his position on the bed, before giving her a regal bow.

"Hello Yuna."

The Ronso rose from the bed and padded towards Yuna. "Kimahri wait for you here Yuna. Sorry, but it is taking me much time to get used to the heat, after living on cold mountain for two years." The warrior answered in his deep, stern voice which brought Yuna back to her senses.

"Oh Kimahri." Yuna sighed, giving her ex-guardian a warm hug. "You are such a dear friend." She said, drying her eyes.

"Why Yuna cry? Did Kimahri upset you?" The large Ronso warrior questioned with worry, as he turned the woman's face towards him.

"No.....I'm.....just happy..." Yuna lied, giving her best smiles that she could muster, without letting her dear friend worry him.

A rustle behind her alerted her of Wakka's presence, who was soon enough followed by the rest of the gang.

"So you saw Kimahri. Now that we are all together.....Let's party!" Wakka shouted out causing Rikku to pump a proud fist up in the air with a gleeful cry at the mention of fun.

But as Yuna searched the room, she couldn't help but not agree with Wakka's words. 

'But we are not all together...'

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The party was spectacular. Everyone who lived in Besaid was invited. And in the centre of the town there was a massive bonfire where there was lots of dancing and singing. Everyone was having fun. Even Paine, who once downed a few glasses was almost as giggly as Rikku. Well....almost. But after the party had died down, and the villagers had made way to their comfy beds, Yuna felt herself drawn towards the sea and the waves which crashed in the darkness. The brunette eyed the distance, then up towards the twinkling stars above, where pyreflies danced amongst the tranquil twilight. Yuna rubbed her shoulders and continued ever closer to the sea. Although there was a slight chill, Yuna was not really bothered by it. After surviving Mount Gagazet in a skimpy thief uniform would give anyone a ticket for death or a immunity to the cold. She fortunately gained the latter. Her eyes fell back down to the inky waters and she couldn't help but wonder what mysteries lied beneath the waves. Yuna closed her sea hued eyes and inhaled a gentle breath of the salty air. The atmosphere felt so relaxing. So gentle. The air smelt of him. The brunette sighed as she began to sing a gentle tune that suddenly flowed from her lips.

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"I know that you're hiding things

Using gentle words to shelter me

Your words were like a dream

But dreams could never fool me

Not that easily...."

Yuna paused mid-song with a gasp, as she realised what she was truly singing. "I can still remember Lenne's song." She whispered as she continued to hum the words which had so much meaning and emotion to its owner. Yuna pulled out the Dressphere from her pocket and eyed the faded orb in her hands. At the beginning of her journey, the sphere once held a light which resonated so stunningly due to the beautiful spirit that was trapped inside. But now that Lenne had gone to the Farplane, it had no more use than an attractive paper weight.

"It is nice to know that Shuyin and Lenne's stories have finally ended." Yuna said softly to herself, holding the dying Dressphere close to her chest. "They deserved a happy ending..."

Yuna's eyes went downcast once more as she saw the flicker of a pyrefly dance inside the sphere. "A thousand years......Could I ever love someone for that length of time?"

'His' face suddenly appeared within her mind and she knew that she already had the answer to that question. Placing the orb back into her pocket, Yuna rose her fingers to her lips and blew. A resonating whistle sang through the darkness before fading away into the silence of the night.

"If I whistle. You will come running right?" Yuna spoke out to the winds, which played teasingly with the tassels of her skirt of her gunner gear.

"Will tonight be that night?" She whispered, which seemed to herself to speak out like that of a plea.

Her eyes fell shut once again as she listened to the sound of the sea.

A snap of lightning suddenly illuminated the beach, and it caused Yuna to jump in fright. After all, it was very uncommon for disastrous weather to reach the Besaid Islands. Yuna gazed around wearingly noting how the stars were vastly diminishing due to the dark clouds which were hastily moving across the sky. Another clap of thunder resonated above the sky, and Yuna, realised once again that something was at a miss. Her face winced when she saw a streak of lightning, light up the sky, while it's reflection brightened up the sea and the buoy which were bobbing up and down.

"A buoy?" Yuna squinted her eyes and to her absolute horror, saw a form which remarkably looked nothing like that of a innocent floating piece of plastic. This buoy, in fact had a pair of arms and a head of hair?

"HEY!!!!!!! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Yuna tried to scream but the figure seemed to be not moving, and he was being hastily pulled out to sea. It did not help when his face was half submerged in the water. She had the urge to run back into town and call for help. She never was a real good swimmer, and the current seemed to be really dangerous. But by the time someone would return, that poor somebody may be...... Yuna didn't want to finish the thought as she pushed herself forward. The light illuminated her fierce look of determination. 

"I'll be right there! Hold on!" And with her altruistic thought of saving the poor soul, Yuna ran into the waves, hissing at its coldness. However she continued to plunge herself through the waves, almost loosing her balance many times before she had no choice but to swim. It seemed the closer she got to the figure, the further the waves would drag them apart. Yuna all the while spluttered as she rode the surface of the water, before diving beneath the crashing waves, and swimming as fast as she could to the sinking figure. Her arms grabbed at the bare chest and tugged upwards with all of her might. This person was so heavy. Yuna felt herself sink deeper, but she was refusing to give up. Then with a sudden gush of adrenaline, the brunette kicked her feet and broke through the surface with a large intake of breath, before pulling the other head out of the water. Even though his hair was at disarray, and drenched through to his tips, lips blue and face somewhat ashen, Yuna's heart suddenly froze, and it seemed that she had lost all sense of time and memory.

'It's....It's....'

Yuna's heartbeat pumped faster than ever before. But she knew that she was still in danger. Seeing 'his' face gave her another rush of adrenaline to surge forward, oblivious to the strength of the crashing waves, and her depleting energy. She had to save 'him'. Those heart-wrenching minutes felt like torture upon her weakened limbs as she swam with her long lost beloved to the shoreline.

She felt like crying when her sodden body met the sticky sand of the shore. She pulled 'his' unconscious body further into land, rubbing her eyes in the process as the wind relentlessly tossed her bangs back and forth into her vision.

It was then she truly saw 'him' for the first time, and she couldn't help but flush when she noticed that he was entirely naked for her virgin eyes to see except for the crest of Zanarkand, which glistened upon his bare chest. Her embarrassment was suddenly lost however as she pressed her hand against the blond's throat searching for a pulse. Yuna's hands trembled with fear as their digits worked their way down 'his' chest, touching his Blitzball insignia before reaching his left breast. Her voice choked into a sob when she felt no sign of life....

"No....Ti...Tidus!" Yuna sobbed, pressing herself against the fallen blond. Her hands positioning themselves around his face as she cried out her pain. Several times, Yuna's tears trailed from her eyes and landed upon the blond. His face being showered with her absolute sorrow. But as one stray tear fell from Yuna's chin and landed upon 'his' face. It made a slow yet determined path to the blond's lip, where it lingered. And if Yuna was paying attention to that moment, she would have saw a small pinkish tongue, slide out between parted lips and absorb the small trickle of moisture Underneath long, dark eyelashes, a pair of hazy cerulean orbs opened slowly as if such an action hadn't been made in over a thousand years. Yuna felt a sudden shift and suddenly she felt her sea hued eyes locked upon with sparkling blue. Then the blond did something the brunette didn't expect. He pulled herself down towards him, and sobbed into her shoulder. Yuna all the while stared down with eyes wide at the blond who was had his hands tightly fisted around her top while his shoulders quaked with utter misery.

After a moment, the blond rose his head again . "Why did you save me?" He whispered, however his voice was choked with heavy emotion.

Yuna blinked. This certainly wasn't the question she was expecting. "What?...."

"I wanted to die out there!" He screamed into her face, his hands ever tightening against her halter neck top. His face looked ugly with the pain and anger he was emanating and Yuna didn't know what to do.

"Ti...ti...." Yuna felt her voice catch in her throat as she turned her head away. She didn't have no idea what to say. He looked so angry...So angry at her....

"Why am I here?" The blond snapped pulling the woman's face back in his direction.

Yuna stared into those once familiar eyes. 'Why was he reacting like this...? Didn't he want to return to me? Didn't he love......?'

"Why am I not with the one I love?" The angry blond snapped again, as if expecting Yuna to possess all the answers. 

'Lenne?'

It was in that instant that all of Yuna's dreams shattered to the ground in a thousand pieces..

"Shuyin?"

Yuna's grip immediately slackened as she pulled away, but she was unaware that Shuyin wasn't ready to let her go so easily. So as she pulled back, he merely lunged at her, pulling her back in his rather uncomfortable embrace.

"I want to know why I am here?!?" The blond all but exclaimed, scowling down at the frightened brunette who did not know whether to fight back or submit to Shuyin's glare. She didn't have the time to decide as she felt her chin wrenched upwards and she stared into the most stunningly beautiful blue eyes, that at that moment, she was unsure whether she hated them or loved them.

'Why is Shuyin here? Didn't he go to the Farplane with Lenne? Or is this perhaps......linked with the Fayth?'

She remembered the look that the elfish boy gave her before she departed from the Heart of the Farplane. His smile, seemed sad, almost regretful underneath his dark hood. As if he knew more, as if he expected something greater was to happen....

'Why have I never been able to have a normal life? Why has it been centred around, pain and loss?' To Yuna, it seemed like she had chosen the short straw with every choice she made ever since she chose to be a Summoner. Fighting Maester Seymour. Defeating Sin. Fighting Vegnagun. Yuna realised not for the first time that her whole life had been a chain of ongoing battles which refused to end. And now she was in the fated arms of a angered Blitzball player who only a few days ago, wanted to destroy Spira with the Colossal Vegnagun. 

A tear slipped down the side of Yuna's cheek at the realisation of her fate. 

Shuyin all the while glared at the woman who he remembered quite well. She was the one who brought his Le....... He couldn't even finish her name at the remembrance of the tragedy. His eyes soon flared with fresh anger of his beloved fate, and then being wrenched from her. He had been with her only a day and she was pulled from his arms and taken from him. After searching for her for over a thousand years. He managed to only stay a day with her. That thought hurt him greater than that of his own death those many years ago. His chest heaved in anger at the remembrance of the golden gates to the Farplane. But what he saw had further traumatised his soul to the greatest depths. The Farplane was dying. It was clear to see.....Instead of rivers flowing with endless purified water, it leaked of poisonous volumes, dirty and foul as if wrenched from the sewers. And the ribbons and garlands which was believed to dance around the flowers. All that was there were weeds, and dead roots with blackened tips. And there that stood in the centre of the fallen heaven.......... . It was there he saw 'it'....... The machina of nightmares. It was fuelling off the Pyreflies. It was those red eyes which suddenly turned to him and Lenne. He remembered a sudden glaring light and the pain of flames surrounding his body. He remembered Lenne screaming, or was it him?

And then a white light.......and a boy asking him a question on 'wanting to return to her?'

Shuyin did not realise that he had closed his eyes until he had reopened them, and saw Yuna in his arms. He blinked in confusion at the woman's closeness, and the apparent misery that was etched upon her face. The blond couldn't frown at the woman's small minded ways. 'How dare she be upset? She has not suffered such pain as I.' Shuyin fumed.

'Vegnagun was in the Farplane!'

'It's killing everything!'

'Lenne was left there!"

'A boy saved me.....I can't remember....Oh god....Lenne.......'

'But why am I feeling guilt and pain from this woman's tears.'

In that moment, Shuyin's animosity dissipated and he felt himself drawn away. He quickly pulled his arms back, and shuffled backwards upon the wet sand, noting his lack of attire for the first time and the cool wind which brushed his skin. That was the first thing that scared Shuyin as he stared down at himself, and noticed the goose bumps upon his arms and thighs. "I have a body?"

"Why am I here? Why am I not with Lenne?" Shuyin whispered to himself, his hand grasping his necklace with thought, before clumsily making his way to his feet, which great effort.

Yuna's eyes rose upwards from her fallen position before turning to the side in embarrassment. "I don't understand....Didn't you go to the Farplane with her?"

"Yes...yes....I did........" Shuyin muttered, rubbing his chin in thought as he paced across the ground, feeling the damp sand squelch across his feet.

'I'm alive again after a thousand years? That 'boy' brought me back to Spira..... Is Lenne alright? What is going on?' His eyes agitatedly moved down to Yuna's form. 'And why is she staring at me like that? What does she have to do with this....with me?' The blond pulled at his blond bangs in agitation. "Arrgh!"

Yuna rose herself to her feet, concern etched on her features. "Shuyin?" She asked softly, fearful of his actions knowing what he was capable to do in the past.

The blond frowned deeper, although he relented the pulling of his hair, his gaze moving downwards at his the water which was ever rising higher upon the shore.

"................"

Shuyin's eyes rose slowly upwards, staring directly at Yuna. "I was pulled from the Farplane........Given a body...." he said quietly, brushing back his wet locks with a deep sigh. "And so was brought back here."

Yuna gasped in surprise at the turn of events. "How.....Why?"

Shuyin furrowed his eyebrows "Agh I don't know! Stop asking me questions that I can't answer!" The blond cried out, alarming Yuna into silence.

"I don't know why..." Shuyin repeated again, however his voice had lost its gruffness.

"I don't understand anything anymore....." he said with a painful sigh, turning his head towards the direction of the sea.

The blond laughed to himself which caused Yuna to jump in surprise at the sudden change in his tone. It felt almost sinister, and it sent a wave of chills up her spine. 

"It's funny really." Shuyin began, wiping the bangs from his vision. His attention aimed at the horizon. "I probably caused all of this destruction...... Logically, the Vegnagun probably affected the balance of the Farplane, and I am getting my just deserts... They won't let me see her..."

Yuna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the remembrance of the gigantic machina. "Vegnagun?"

"Yes...The Vegnagun...." Shuyin repeated firmly, his gaze moving downwards to his fisted hands. "That fucking pile of bolts has fucked my life up too many times..." The blond cursed, causing Yuna to wince at the foulness of his language. She had never heard such inarticulate and rude mannerisms in her life. And she couldn't ever remember 'him' speaking with such vulgarity.

"Bloody.......Mother fucking........ God-damn it to the devil's realm!" The nude warrior continued to curse out. His face contorted within a transfiguration of the blond's absolute hate, anger and fear.

Yuna's composure seemed to break down after each profanity. Several she had never even heard in her life in Spira. "Shuyin, please... _calm_ down." Yuna tried to beg. The salty air seemed to crackle with a heavy tension, that the brunette had no idea to compose the livid Blitzballer. His eyes flared within a turbulent of its own emotional storm. His blond hair lashed over his vision, revealing the twitch of a tense muscle underneath his eyelid. A disgustingly loud crack caused her to jump, her courage vastly depleting when she realised the sound came from the blond's tightly clenched fists. Yuna for the first time felt an emotion that she had not felt in over two years. Fear.

The blond's shoulders hunched upwards, and he suddenly turned his neck to side. His eyes hauntingly threatening. "Calm down?" Shuyin asked, his eyes, to Yuna's amazement, flaring even brighter than before. "Calm down?" His body trembled. Yuna couldn't help but shuffle back in apprehension.

Lightning crackled from the distance and Yuna wouldn't have been surprised if it was being fuelled by the blond's rage.

Shuyin's frown deepened. His heart thundered in his ears, and at that moment, the dam broke. His anger at that moment seemed to possess him. Although Shuyin, at a later time, wouldn't have been able to admit, that as he lashed out painful words to the weak female, he was afraid of himself. Afraid of what his emotions were doing to him. Changing his soul into a heartless monster. 

"Is that all you can say Summoner woman?" Shuyin all but spat out, his eyes narrowing into enraged slits. 

"I was taken out of the Farplane! I have watched my love not once, but twice die in front of my eyes! And you tell me to Calm down!?!"

Yuna rose a shaking hand to her mouth. Her vocal chords rendered to silence.

Shuyin began pacing once again like an rampaging animal. White clouds of smoke rose from his mouth and throat. The blond seemed oblivious to Yuna as he made firm strides in the sand, rambling all of his innermost thoughts to the open. At that moment, Yuna feared that Shuyin had perhaps gone insane. The idea was highly plausible, when she heard his animal grunts and the earlier remembrance of his earlier plan to destroy Spira.

" A boy came to me.......Bahamut...... He helped me escape..... Said something about 'The guardians of the Farplane being poisoned by some force. Or they are being controlled,' I do not know. All I know is that Lenne is forever gone and I cannot bring her back!" Shuyin all but cried, falling down to his knees with a anguished wail, punching the sand with his fists.

Yuna's face blanched at the realisation of the blond's words. 

'A boy?.....Bahamut?......That Fayth?......'

Her thoughts were soon lost as she saw Shuyin rise from his fallen position. His head turned so that she could not see the pain in his eyes, but she could imagine the redness of them. His lips was still in an ever present scowl as he made a slowly deliberate turn to face her. His face down so that his bangs shielded his eyes. She moved her own head down from his form as he made long strides towards her. Full of power and strength.

Yuna bit her lip when a pair of dirty male feet met her gaze. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a breath of courage.

'This is so hard....' She thought to herself, as she rose her head upwards, and tried to steel her face with his. Then three words slipped out that she would have never expected to come from his lips. Not at her.

"I hate you!" Shuyin whispered, although his eyes looked no higher than at the Zanarkand crest adorned upon the woman's chest.

'She wears my team symbol with pride?' The blond's eyes darkened. 'How dare she.... She has no link to Zanarkand. She didn't go out of her way to die, like Lenne and me....'

"I hate you..." The blond repeated again, and this time it was to the woman's shocked face. He couldn't help but have a sadistic smile on his lips at the pain. At least he now knew that the foolish woman was listening.

"I hate how society have made people like you. Weak. Unforgiving. Disrespectful of the past." The blond continued, raising a firm hand to Yuna's chin, pulling her face close to him so that he could see, feel, hear each tremble of her pain. Her sadness. Wanting her to experience the pain he had been suffering for the thousand years he had been relentlessly searching for his love.

Yuna's legs trembled beneath her, fearing that they would at any moment give way. 'His' eyes glared at her with such a ferocity that she did not know what to say. 

"Shuyin!" She cried out in alarm, balancing upon the very fine line of bursting into never-ending rain of tears.

"Silence!" He snapped, tugging her face up closer to his own. His other hand rose up to meet the woman's waist, immobilising her. But he secretly knew that it was not needed. Her own fear kept her feet glued in place, and he could highly doubt that she could run faster than a Blitzball player if she were foolish enough to escape. There were so many thoughts in Yuna's mind. She wasn't sure what to do, nor in what way to it. But there was one thing that she was certain of. Shuyin was very angry. And it seemed to be all directed at her.... 

'What have I done to deserve this? Haven't I suffered enough?' she thought, as her tears fell silently down her wet cheeks.

"Why....are....you....so....angry at me......" Yuna breathed. 

Shuyin moved his face ever closer to Yuna's that his breath mingled with her fearful panting ones. "You want to know why?" he all but growled, pressing his cheek against her, tightening his hold upon her that she almost cried out in pain. "Why did you bring her to me! If it weren't for you, she would still be alive! I hate you!"

Yuna's eyes dilated, and it was at that time she understood the blond's pain, only remotely, but at least she could now defend herself. "......Shu-" She began but was hastily cut off as a large hand was clapped over her mouth in a rather rude and brash manner. 

"Stop saying my name!" The blond yelled, not truly knowing himself why he was so flustered. Although his fury was no longer possessing him, he still felt his emotions trying to become irate again at the woman in his arms. And the fearful part was, he didn't know why. It was as if he was being possessed by a dangerous force sending him into berserk mode with no form of remedy . Although he was angry at losing Lenne, he was not as selfish as to blame this woman he did not even know. She brought Lenne to him, and if it were anyone's fault, it was more than likely his own. After all, he was the one who believed the Vegnagun would save Lenne. On the contrary, it postponed their final reunion. It was the blame for killing Lenne at the beginning. If there was something to be angry for, should have been towards that piece of wasted Machina, mot an innocent woman, who he was undoubtfully traumatising. Blaming her for actions that she had no witness of...

__

'Am I truly losing my mind?'

Yuna's eyes widened further as she felt herself being suddenly turned and pulled against the blond's chest in a rather disconcerting manner. First he was shouting profanities at her, now he was embracing her. Yuna was too afraid to be even embarrassed anymore, as her damp back was pressed ever so firmly to his chest. She brought her hands to the front of her, as if in prayer, and closed her eyes.

__

'Has the storm ended?'

They stood in the one sided embrace for long moments. Yuna staring into the darkness of her mind, while Shuyin had engrossed himself with Yuna's braid of coloured beads, surprised to find that it was indeed an earring and not a hair accessory. He rose an eyebrow in interest at the hood of the woman's uniform. 

__

'I think I had a hood on my uniform...my favourite one...' 

His thoughts froze as he realised that he was reminiscing his tragic past, in the arms of a woman he did not know.

"I don't know you from Adam. I don't know you." Shuyin sighed after a moment, looking down at the short brunette in his arms, noting with curiosity that she had her head down and her hands clasped as if in prayer. It was taking all of her willpower not to move away.

__

'Such an action Lenne would do....'

He frowned at himself for comparing the woman to his love. And he couldn't help but wonder why he was still holding this brunette.

"Why are we always crossing paths? I do not know you...." Shuyin continued on, his head drooping down to rest upon Yuna's shoulder, his hands slowly slipping away from the brunette's lips. Shuyin felt suddenly tired, his vision wavering before his very eyes. He blinked for a few moments, sighing deeply against the woman's neck. They opened after sighting a shine of silver, and he was once again aware of 'his' Zanarkand symbol upon the woman's chest.

The blond rose an eyebrow in curiosity, and gave him enough energy to raise his head to look at the female's face from the side. "Why are you emblazoned with the Crest of my Zanarkand team?" Shuyin asked after a moment, still in the embrace that Yuna was beginning to feel greatly discomforted from. Shuyin, oblivious to the woman's feelings voiced out his question again. Yuna's eyes slowly opened to the sound of his voice, but she couldn't find it in herself to answer. She knew after all, that he wouldn't understand, and her story was just too painful to explain at the moment. However, Shuyin was a man who did not like to be ignored, nor did he like secrets being kept away from him for long. He felt his anger surge once again at the silence which the woman gave him. 'Woman?' He still didn't even know the female's name but her negligence to his wishes was irritating him.

"What is with you?" Shuyin exclaimed in a fit of anger, pulling his arms away from the brunette as if he had been burnt. "It wasn't like I was asking a difficult question." Shuyin said, throwing up his arms in defeat. His eyes narrowed at another thought, what he believed was more than likely correct. "Is this trinket just a mere fashion statement to you? To make you stand out of the crowd?"

The blonds' eyes darkened. "Is that all Zanarkand means to you. Some attractive piece of jewellery that makes you look good? Is that it?"

Yuna could all but gape. 'He thinks I am being disrespectful of the past...' 

"That's not true!" Yuna protested, her eyes wide in shock at the blonds' proclamation.

'How can he say that? Wasn't I the one who opposed the idea of turning Zanarkand into a tourist attraction?'

Shuin gave a derisive snort oblivious to the woman's sadness. His eyes burning at the sight of the crest. 'His' crest adorned upon her in a ridiculous fashion statement. His eyes blurred for a moment for the pride he had for 'his' team. His country. His hands unconsciously clutched around his own crest, feeling the familiar sharp edges press firmly against his palm. His symbol. His identity. 

__

'Then why was this woman wearing the crest of Zanarkand?'

"I hate Spira." Shuyin growled out. Words which had now become so familiar to him through the endless times he had spoken them. "The people here are disgusting. No respect. No honour. They deliberately cause suffering to all that's good, and then they wonder why Spira has fallen to a level that only degenerates are in power." 

"Take it off!" Shuyin suddenly exclaimed, his eyes burning brighter as a cluster of pyreflies found within the Moonflow.

Yuna blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?"

Her bewildered response only made the blond angrier that he had to make the obvious clear to her. "Argh! Didn't you hear what I said? You are _not_ a Zanarkand resident, _nor_ are you a patriot to its city. You do _not_ deserve that symbol of Zanarkand. _Take._ _That._ _Crest._ _Off_!" Shuyin demanded fiercely as he roughly turned her around. And with daggers in his eyes, his hands moved down to her chest and clenched upon the Zanarkand crest ignorant to the brunette's shriek of surprise. Then further to the girl's dismay, the blond savagely pulled at the dressing of her gunner halter-top. Yuna felt the constriction of her breathing as the cotton stretched across her chest from the pressure of the pull. She whimpered out in alarm as she tried to pry Shuyin's hands off her garment. But he was relentless, and only tugged harder, easily overpowering the frightened brunette with his tight vice-like grip.

'_Rrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiipppppppp_!!!!!!'

"Ahhh! Stop it!" Yuna cried out in alarm, but it was too late. She clutched her arms to her hide her exposed breasts in horror. Her eyes grew wide like saucers at the fiendish monster who....who... had done such a hurtful thing to her.

Shuyin eyed the crest in hand pulling off the tattered remnants of cotton. 

"That's better," the blond mused to himself, taking in Yuna's horrified expression. Then with a devilish smirk of malice, Shuyin swiftly pulled his arm back, and surged it forward, tossing the crest high into the sky. Yuna watched the Zanarkand symbol fly towards the sea, and become swallowed into its dark depths. And then there was silence. It felt like her very heart had been pulled out of her chest. That insignia meant everything to her. It represented him and how she would always have him close to her heart..... and Shuyin had tossed it into the water as if it were some trash.... as if she didn't deserve to own such a treasure...... as if she didn't deserve to carry the memory of 'him'.

"_No_....."

Her whole body trembled with a anger she never knew she possessed. She blinked back tears as she dropped down to her knees. She felt so mad that she wanted to break something. Hit something. Hurt something....or more correctly, hurt someone. She thought she heard a dark chuckle from above and her blood boiled. One of her hands dropped to the sand, and she fisted the damp substance in her hand. It only took Yuna to raise her face and see that smug grin to make her want to lash out. 

"I hate you Shuyin!" She all but screamed as she tossed the wet sand in his face. Shuyin not expecting such an attack was unable to defend himself as the salty substance went into his eyes. But Yuna was not finished as she pulled herself to her feet, regardless of the tears. Her hands clutching the front of her chest.

'He has caused me so much pain....How dare he hurt me as if I am to blame...... taking 'his' symbol away from me....Throwing it out into the sea.....'

Yuna's eyes hardened, her long bangs slashing against her face. She had gone past being sad. All she now felt was pain, and anger. "Don't blame me for your pained life. I'm sorry you suffered. But don't you dare speak as if my life was a bed of roses!" Yuna exclaimed, stunning the blond with the sheer volume of her voice. The rain continued to pelt down upon the two figures regardless. "At least your love returned to you, if only for a moment. My love will **_never_** **_ever_** **_return_**." Fresh tears pooled down the side of Yuna's face but she refused to wipe them away. Her anger had got the best of her, and she needed Shuyin to know how she felt. He did not have the right to accuse her of being blasphemous to Zanarkand. Didn't she do enough when she sacrificed her happiness to defeat Sin. To watch _him_ disappear before her very eyes. Wasn't that enough? Yuna held back another sob which she knew she would be never able to control if she let her emotions entwine lose. She shook her head, trying to control her thoughts. She had to make Shuyin understand that she was not in the wrong. She was never in the wrong and she was in pain for what anguish he gave her.

"He won't be in the Farplane either, as _he_ didn't die. Nor did he truly live! I will never find him as he was only a dream. A faded dream of the Fayth. And the Fayth have died, meaning their dreams faded with them." Her head drooped down, unwilling to say anymore to the sight of that face.

Shuyin at last had his vision cleared rubbing his eyes to relieve the stinging. "So......?" the blond answered indifferently, giving a shrug. "What does your pathetic life story have to do with me?"

Yuna boiled over. All she could see was red. She couldn't remember a time that she was ever so angry at someone in her life. Not even Maester Seymour fuelled so much anger and pain into her loins as the cocky blond wretch who stood before her. She spoke without thinking. She acted without planning. She wasn't aware of the time when she stormed up to the blond and gave him such a loud slap, that its sound rivalled against the thundering sky. Shuyin jerked backwards, injured more by his pride than that of the stinging pain. He was about to snap back a retort before he saw the evil woman grab his chin roughly. Much like he did to her not so long ago. She glared with him with such a dark ferocity. An anger and pain, that Shuyin had never encountered upon another's face before. Her tears continued to trickle down the sides of her face, revealing the pure emotion of pain which had now became a part of her being. Shuyin couldn't help but gape.

Yuna's voice sounded more like a low rumble. And if she was truly listening, she would have been surprised that she sounded more like the gruff Paine than that of her happy and innocent self. "You are evil Shuyin." She all but whispered, her words clipped and to the point. "Absolute evil to even think about using Vegnagun to destroy Spira. Did you ever think of what Lenne would think? 'He' would have never done such a thing. You....heartless monster!" The blond shuddered at the meaning yet he still held his chin high, refusing to look hurt by her words.

They both stared at each other for timeless seconds neither yielding until the female spoke more words which oozed with venom that Shuyin's eyes glistened with barely suppressed tears, and his shoulder quaked with sickening despair. 

" How could Lenne ever love a monster like you?" Yuna cried, the wind whipped around her, giving her confidence at his wretched stance.

It was then Yuna said words of such hatred that appalled even her ears, but she couldn't hold them back. There was too much emotion running through her veins. Her heart was pumping with unnatural levels of adrenaline and she had no other way to relieve her own mental pain. "You are a nightmare Shuyin. You seek out pain and suffering. You want to make things better, but you intentionally go out of your way to hurt people."

Her eyes softened at the sharp intake of air and she deliberately softened her tone. "Just look at yourself. Stop Shuyin. You're anger is controlling you. Stop this madness, before the madness ends up destroying you again...." The brunette whispered before falling silent, her own emotions silencing her voice.

A tear trailed down the blonde's cheek. His shoulders violently quaked as he dropped down to his knees, his face morbid as if reliving Lenne's and his death sentence once again.

Yuna's resolve cracked as she pulled back. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, but she knew she had to stop his rage. The anger in her heart turning into pangs of guilt at his fallen form. Yuna had to fight the urge to drop to her knees and console the tearful blonde. Her breath hitched at the sound of faint sniffling. 

"Shuyin..." She all but whispered, her hands pressing tighter against the area of her heart. She hadn't meant to hurt him so much. Their earlier argument disappearing in an instant as she watched a silent tear fall from his cheek and down to the sand.

The blonde said nothing, his eyes staring unfocused upon the sand. A shuddering breath rose from his throat. "Please....leave....me......alone...You have...... broken me.....leave me be...." he said quietly, refusing to look up as his voice trembled with badly controlled emotion.

Yuna's fingers trembled over her breast. "I won't tell anyone about this Shuyin," Yuna began breathlessly, kneeling down on the sand and clasping the blonds' shoulder. He didn't fight back, and for that Yuna was relieved. Shuyin all the while kept his head down refusing for this 'girl' to see how she had affected him.

"I'm sorry. I was out of order," Yuna apologised, biting her lip in worry that the blond would not accept her confession.

".........." He didn't even look up.

The brunette's brow furrowed. It seemed that he wouldn't comply to her words. The wind nipped at her bare arms and it was then Yuna shivered. She was surprised how she had survived the chilly winds before. 

'Perhaps my anger was warming me?' Yuna mused. She then noted with a faint blush, his attire, or more precisely his lack of attire.

'And if the wind picks up. He may freeze to death.' That thought unnerved the brunette as she rubbed at her 'Goosebumps' while still keeping her modesty. She was still angry at Shuyin for ruining her Gunner top, but for now she would at least try to help him get out of the cold. She was sure that he wasn't that comfortable with being _fully _exposed to the air. She blushed further at the thought, and was thankful that it was still dark enough that he wouldn't be able to notice.

Yuna coughed trying to compose herself, adverting her eyes from his beautifully sculptured.... Her face reddened. "It's late tonight....come on...it's getting cold." She said in horrifying embarrassment, wishing she could press her hands against her face in an attempt to cool her flaring cheeks. She steeled herself to look only at the blonde's ear, noting the sparkling jewel of the Zanarkand symbol, glinting at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the blonde shiver ever so slightly. Her duty to help the sodden blonde overpowered her embarrassment and gave her the determination to carry on. "If we stay out here any longer we'll both freeze. The Gullwing ship is not too far from here if you don't want to stay in the town...." Yuna said firmly, knowing that she had signed her death certificate. She had just given Shuyin an invitation upon the Celsius. The same man who tried to use Vegnagun to destroy Spira.

"............"

"Shuyin?" Yuna pressed on, realising for the first time that the crouched blonde was not making any form of sound.

"We both need rest...." The brunette added, trying to pull the blonde from his silence. She only hoped that Shuyin was only being obstinate, and that there wasn't a more complicated problem to why he seemed deathly silent.

"............."

"Tomorrow we can decide what we are going to do..." Yuna tried to encourage, patting his arm gently.

".................."

'Man he is so stubborn....' Yuna fumed to herself, wondering on her next course of action. She certainly did not want to freeze, but from the way that things were going... Shuyin refused to acknowledge her. He did say he 'hated her' after all. That did not help the brunette raise her spirits.

Collecting all the determination inside, Yuna roughly prodded the blonde's muscled arm, aware that Shuyin was still alert enough to tense up his muscle.

'So he is still alive.' That thought encouraged the brunette to go on. She didn't want him to risk his health just because of a stupid argument and that he was too stubborn, and probably ashamed.

"Shuyin....." Yuna pleaded, trying her best to give as genuine emotion as possible. "You have to trust me. Let go of the pain. A tainted heart cannot fight for love."

'Not so much as a blink'

Yuna wasn't fazed and she refused to give up hope. "I was angry.....I was wrong with what I said. And I'm sorry." Yuna said with a slight bow.

".........." Yuna was slightly peeved. It would have been easier to get blood from a stone.

"Lets get dry before we get ill. You won't be able to fight for Lenne if you get Pneumonia."

Blue eyes sparkled. "Lenne?"

'Ah, that's the secret. Say her name and he comes to life,' Yuna thought with a slight smile as Shuyin turned his head slowly so that he was looking directly at her. Yuna held back the gasp at being so close to his face which had the same features.....the same eyes....

Shuyin's eyes fluttered closed before reopening. The recent argument had slackened his expression that the blonde looked innocent, almost shy. "Why?" he questioned within an incredulous tone, baffled to what the girl was truly implying.

Yuna blinked in confusion.

Shuyin shook his head, trying to reiterate his jumbled thoughts into a concise sentence. "...............I don't understand...why would you help me... after what I did to you.....?.......you said yourself..... I was........evil......a...monster....." The blonde finished at the last word, his head drooping down in shame. And as much as he wanted to deny her poisoned words. He knew that the woman was right. He was a monster to even think about destroying the world with Vegnagun. But he was absolutely evil as he couldn't even save Lenne. How could he be called a man if he could not protect his love?

Yuna watched the conflicting emotions dash across the blond's face, before being replaced with a clear look which the brunette knew was guilt. She couldn't help but cringe inside, remembering the tone of her scathing words. She shook her head.

"I didn't mean to say it. My anger controlled me. I've had a busy day," Yuna sighed. And indeed she had. After all, she had suffered far too many interviews in her hometown on whether or not she will be going to the Lucan party, and if so with whom. Celebrity was a very tiring business. She blushed lightly when she noticed that Shuyin was stating at her in bemusement, the anger gone.

"Come on..." Yuna said quietly, tugging the blond up with her left hand, her right arm keeping her carefully well covered.

"We'll need to get you some clothes as well...." Yuna added as an afterthought causing the Shuyin to give her an odd look.

"Or do you want to remain naked?"

The blond's lips twitched.

Yuna gasped. 'Did...he just..... smile?'

The brunette shook her head. "Come on you...."

Yuna took her left hand in his right causing the blond to stare at her for a few moments. One thought running through his mind.

'Genuine...She is really genuine.' His eyes softened in unbelievable awe as he tightened his grip around the welcomed hand.

Yuna didn't see the blond's face lighten as she viewed their destination beyond the cliffs, hoping that everyone had gone to bed. 

'Hopefully we'll won't run into anyone.' Yuna thought to herself It would be unlikely due to the time of night... Yuna's face blanched at the thought of Wakka seeing her as she did now. Her eyes flickered to the less the well suited blond who snorted. Her thoughts disintegrated immediately as she heard a cough beside her, and Shuyin was staring at her with an odd expression which Yuna could not identify.

"I'm......sorry...for....you know.....everything.." Shuyin apologised, scratching the back of his head when his head nodded at the position of Yuna's bent arm. Yuna's eyes flitted upwards to his face and she smiled slightly with a small nod of forgiveness, feeling somewhat embarrassed to know what he was implying, but she knew that he was too referring to the Vegnagun too.

Yuna couldn't help but weakly smile. "Come on you, lets get you back onto the ship and then we can see what you do from there...."

Shuyin chuckled weakly at the girl's jovial tone. To Shuyin, she surely couldn't be real for her to forgive him so easily. His eyes turned out towards the sea where he had threw the crest only moments ago. "No, I am genuinely sorry....I had no right to be such a jerk...... miss...?"

"Yuna." The brunette placed out her right hand out in front of her for the blond to shake hand. Her face gained a fearful look after noticing the blonde's horrified expression. A cool wind past between them when she was aware that she had her left hand in Shuyin's right, while her other hand was..... She squeaked in embarrassment, quickly slapping her right arm over her breasts.

The blond blinked unsure what to make of the girl in front of him. She was so...... unlike anyone else he had ever met on Spira within his travels and that thought made him grin wider. He felt different. He couldn't explain it, and he knew it was something about her, as all he could think about was laughter. He shook his face, trying to hold in his mirth that wanted nothing but to erupt into hysterics. "Lets forget the formalities for now......Yuna." Shuyin chuckled to which Yuna shyly nodded, her face burning from embarrassment.

"Yes...that would be for the best." Yuna all but squeaked causing the blonde to laugh louder, winking slyly as the girl blushed to her roots tips. 

"Well..*ahem*," Yuna coughed lightly, trying to compose herself. The blond rose an elegant eyebrow, his face plastered with a rather cheeky grin. 

"We should get changed. I am sure Wakka and Lulu..." Yuna's voice however froze mid sentence at the thought of Lulu and Wakka seeing her in the state she was in and a naked man behind her. The image wasn't pretty. The Celsius suddenly came to mind. Yuna reached into her pockets, hoping that she had her key-card and that she had not left it at Wakka's house, or even worse, lost it in the sea. Her grin widened when she felt the sharp plastic within her hand.

"No....I have a better idea. My friend's brother owns a airship which should be empty now after the party. It is not too far from here, just past the waterfall," Yuna thought out loud, tilting her direction to the pathway. 

The blond rose another eyebrow. "An airship?"

Yuna nodded. "Yeah."

"Cool." The blond admonished, trying to remember the last time he had rode a flying machina. The only machina he could remember using recently was.......He shook his head. He did not want to think of Vegnagun now. He felt so tired and cranky, and it was late. Fatigue deprived him of ideas to save Lenne, and he wasn't going to pass up the chance to finally have a rest. He was woken by footsteps moving away from him, and he quickly rose his head to see Yuna moving towards a valley between two cliffs he did not notice before.

"There should be some fresh clothes there as well. If not, I could lend you a dress-sphere," Yuna said over her shoulder, continuing forward at a slow pace before she heard his footsteps follow her from behind.

Shuyin blinked. "Dress-sphere?"

Yuna giggled to herself at a sudden thought of what ludicrous dress-sphere that she could tempt the blond into wearing. "I'll show you when we get there." The brunette said with a light chuckle, thinking how the blonde would look in a 'Mascot sphere' or perhaps a 'Berserker sphere'. She found it hard to control her giggles at the thought of the cocky blonde dressed up in a chocobo uniform, feathers and all.

"Hey! What are you laughing about?" Shuyin asked in curiosity, jogging so that he was only a few paces behind her.

Yuna merely smiled. "Nothing. So are you ready?'

"Sure thing Yuna. Lead the way." Shuyin replied with a slight cock of his head, giving a debonair smile.

Yuna couldn't help but shiver at the sound of her name on his lips. Her feet freezing in place..... It felt....too unreal...

She slowly turned her head and wished at that moment she didn't......he was smiling at her. Shuyin was giving _her_ the Tidus grin. She instantly melted....

"S..s..sure......"

......................................................................................................................................

What do you guys think?

I have a question. I don't know if any of you guys have read another of my FFX-2 fics which was a one shot of Yuna and Shuyin talking on Mihen Highroad. I am curious to know whether you guys prefer this fic or my earlier one, as I am unsure which one I should continue. I would like to do both, but with time constrictions due to work and such, I can only choose one. So, would you guys rather me do a post FFX-2 epic where Yuna is helping Shuyin find Lenne (fic above) and consequently falls for him. Or do you guys want me to continue Dream of Rhapsody, where Shuyin tries Yuna into the Farplane and become a dream herself with Tidus....

You have the choice.

Jut place your choice in the review box.

I look forward to your reviews.

Ja ne

Aer_seph4eva

P.S

Any question? Comments? 

You can contact me through email......

Aer_seph4eva@yahoo.


	2. Never trust anyone

****

FFX-2 101% Past and Present combined

Chapter 2

Never trust anyone

Yuna/Tidus

Shuyin/Lenne

Shuyin/Yuna

What happens if the Fayth misinterpreted Yuna's wishers and brought back Shuyin instead of Tidus? 

Oh wow. Thanks you guys for your email and reviews. I am truly surprised that quite a few of you actually want me to continue. Cool!

Happy reading.......on with the fic.......

..........................................................................................................................................

Fortunately enough for Yuna, she managed to cross the waterfalls with her additional acquaintance who followed her silently, with ease. Shuyin all the while sighed sadly to himself, letting his feet carry him to the direction where this woman...The blonde shook his head at himself at the degrading title he had administered upon her. 'What was that woman's name again...Yun...Yuna?'

Shuyin rose his head as he watched the female walk just a mere few paces ahead of him, her brunette hair bouncing gently from her bare shoulders. The blond's eyes moved lower down at the bare expanse of the girl's back. Shuyin's eyes blushed darkly in embarrassment as he knew that he was the cause for the slight shivers which crawled along the girl's bare back.. "Yuna?"

The brunette froze.

"I am really sorry for you clothes.....if I had clothes on my back, I would have given them to you....."

The blond heard the girl's deep sigh. "It's alright..... you have already apologised........." Yuna said softly, shaking her head with indifference. 

"But......" Shuyin began not really knowing how to continue his thoughts.

"..........."

"My airship is not to far from here." Yuna said quietly as she continued onwards, ignoring the odd look that Shuyin gave her from behind.

She saw the sight of the Celsius in the distance and Yuna couldn't help but sigh in relief. She didn't know how long she could stomach the odd feeling that had crept up inside of her when Shuyin smiled at her with 'his' smile. All she wanted at the moment was to crawl into her bed and go to sleep and hope that when she awoke, that everything in her life was normal again. The next time she looked up, she realised that she had got to her destination, where the shadow of the Celsius blocked the light from the moon which earlier lit up the sky. 

"You have a nice ship Yuna." Shuyin commented with a slight smile, eyeing the gigantic piece of machina in awe. It was certainly not what he expected, but then again, he wasn't sure what to expect anymore after living such a warped up life, or more correctly warped up death. A sudden idea rose into his head which made him suddenly light up with joy. 'I could hijack this ship and save Lenne.' the blond thought with delight. 'And it would be so easy if this girl is the only one in control.' The cogs in his head were delightfully turning before they instantly froze at the next few words.

"Oh no, it isn't mine." Yuna began with a shake of her head. "It belongs to Brother."

The blond's eyes narrowed in question. 'Another...damnit. I thought it was only her and me.' "Your brother?" Shuyin asked idly, unconsciously scowling as he folded his arms in thought.

Yuna caught the blond's expression, but was unsure upon her analysis. "Oh? No...no.....Rikku's brother. You can meet him tomorrow," the brunette answered watching in confusion as the creases around the blond's eyes seemed to relax somewhat.

"Hnnn." Shuyin answered, the cogs once again turning in his head.

"Is there anyone on board now?" he asked, hoping that his luck would give him the answer he craved the most.

Yuna pouted in thought, trying to remember Buddy's and Brothers last words at the party, before the remembrance of their plans of resting in the Inn. "Um....I don't think anyone's here except us, because there was a party earlier on and most people are either resting in their homes, or at the inn."

Shuyin couldn't help but smirk at the chance that was suddenly in front of him.

"I see..." he answered indifferently but inside he was reeling in happiness at the hand that fate had given him. 'Perfect.' He muttered under his breath, his eyes twinkling in delight as he watched Yuna move closer to the ship.

Yuna took a few steps towards the ship and then moved out of the blond's view. She then returned soon after with a smile on her face as the ship suddenly shuddered and Shuyin saw a bright flashing light glare from the ship. He was aware of the sound of steel moving, as a door hatchet opened and a pair of stairs materialised to his vision.

Yuna watched silently at the awe in the blond's eyes at the ship. She always thought how Tidus would have reacted to the Celsius. She assumed it would have been positive and rather energetic like the time he was onboard Cid's machina-ship before their final bout with Sin. She smiled sadly at the thought.

"Come on...I think we both need some spare clothes." Yuna commented jogging towards the metal stairway and walking through, not really wanting for the blond to follow. As soon as she stepped through the portal, the halls suddenly flooded with light.

Yuna's heart thumped frantically in her chest. "Light? Oh no....is there someone here?"

Yuna couldn't help but shriek out in alarm as she felt a hand touch her shoulder, turning around suddenly at Shuyin who was standing behind her.

"What's wrong......." His eyes looked downwards hastily before rising again to meet the brunette's face, trying to look calm and easy going as possible. 

Yuna's eyes went very large at she refrained from looking any lower. When they were both on the beach, the darkness covered their modesties, but now.... She jumped in fright when she heard a sound which sounded almost to familiarly like footsteps.

Yuna's face flared a brilliant red, half stumbling in the process as she dashed towards the elevator and towards the cabin, squealing in shock as the blond obediently followed her as if nothing was wrong.

Yuna shook her head and slammed her hand against the button watching as the double doors closed just a few inches where the blond's hand was reaching before descending downwards.

"?"

Shuyin blinked in confusion, waiting in slight irritation for the elevator to return to his floor. He stepped inside, eyeing the red glowing plate which was neatly marked as 'Cabin'. The blond punched in the button and felt the elevator shift before moving downwards.

The doors dinged open just in time for Shuyin to see the brunette dash into another set of doors and slam them shut.

"Hey!" Shuyin cried out in mock anger pushing past the elevator and jogging towards the doors which he realised, after turning the handle, were locked shut.

"What is that woman up to?" '_Does she know what I am planning?'_

.............................................................................................................................

Yuna slapped her head at her foolishness as she trudged into the cabin. It was that darn chocobo making all the sound. "...and here I thought it was Rikku or something.' She heard a sharp knocking along the outside of the door and a muffled voice. Her face paled to know who was standing outside that door, in direct lighting, with no clothes....

'What am I going to do?' Yuna looked down at her chest and scrambled towards the nearest closest and pulled on the first article of clothing that came into her hand.

"Yu...Yuna....what.....g.....ing..on?" 

Yuna unlocked the room and swung the door wide open, her chest heaving from the sudden outburst of adrenaline.

"Are you alright?" He questioned, eyeing the plain white halter neck that the brunette now sported.

"Um.....you still need clothes..." Yuna panted, turning her head from the blonde.

"Uh huh."

Yuna nodded in acknowledgment, refusing to look at the blond lest be tempted to look down further. Her face seemed to be resonating its own heat now, and she more than likely knew that Shuyin was clearly aware of it. She wished that there was some light switch which could turn off all the lights. She had a fleeting thought of cutting the wires to the electric system but she had a good feeling that Brother and Buddy would not like that. She backed towards her clothing quarters and pulled open her wardrobes and drawers, hoping to find something that may at least fit him.

'I have to find some clothes for him, before I blush to death,' Yuna thought frantically, pulling open all of her drawers and tossing all types of articles of clothing over her head, in an attempt to speed up her searching.

Shuyin all the while watched the restless woman with a look akin to puzzlement. "Women are weird." Shuyin commented as he stared down at the various articles of clothing which was aimlessly tossed in his direction.

He rose an eyebrow. "Urr...these are all women's clothes," Shuyin commented picking up a tight fitted black shirt and then a pair of black bikini briefs.

Yuna blushed, pausing her destruction on the drawers. "Well err....I am a woman." Yuna countered, her eyes going wide as saucers when she saw that the blond was handling her underwear. In an instance, she crossed the room and snatched it out of his fingers, blushing deeply as she threw it back into the drawers.

"Wow...I would have never guessed." Shuyin commented sarcastically. "But seriously Miss Yuna, unless I magically find a way to shrink my shoulders and waist size, or perhaps rearrange my bone structure, I have a rather good feeling that these clothes won't fit me."

"................" 'I have to try. Perhaps Brother may have some of his spare dungarees lying around nearby.' Yuna thought, as she sifted through the piles of coloured clothing.

*******10 minutes later********

"Um.....I can't find anything suitable...." Yuna said after a moment, pulling her hands out of the drawers, refusing to turn around to look at the blonde.

"I could wake up my friends in Besaid." Yuna added over her shoulder, her brow creasing with worry.

__

'I didn't want them to find out just yet......' Yuna thought, her eyes raising upwards to the wooden barrier which concealed the beds from view.

'Beds? **_Bed-sheet_**?'

"I got it!" Yuna exclaimed far too enthusiastically than she would have liked as she turned towards the staircase of the cabin.

"Oh really?" Came the deep masculine tone which caused the brunette to lightly shudder in response. 'He sounds too much like him'.

"Just a minute." She called over her shoulder as she clambered up the stairs, wrenching a fresh blue duvet off the nearest bed, pleased with its suitability for a simple wrap.

"Here. Catch." Yuna said a second before she tossed the large sheet over the banister hearing a slight muffle of surprise as the heavy bundle landed directly upon the blond's head.

"Thanks." The blond commented sarcastically, as he pulled the heavy burden off his head and wrapped it around his muscular frame like a cloak.

Yuna, oblivious to the sarcasm bowed with gratitude. "You're welcome," she answered with a small smile, which suddenly froze as she heard light footsteps make their way up the staircase. A familiar head of blonde hair rose above the banister and Yuna once again frowned at the inappropriateness of the situation. Here she was, alone with a man who just recently wanted to use Vegnagun and destroy all of Spira, had murdered hundreds of warriors within the Den of Woe, and had almost assaulted her just a few moments ago. There was something really odd about him, and although he had not tried anything just recently, Yuna still felt wary of him when he turned his stark blue eyes at her, which sent shivers up her spine. It was like '_he_' was here once more, but not quite at the same time.

"So, what now?" Yuna asked causing the blond to shrug.

"I thought we were gonna nap, unless you are in the mood for something else?"

Shuyin said with a hint of dark amusement, expecting the brunette to flare up in embarrassment. That was why he was very surprised when the girl gave him a blank look, unaware of the dirty thoughts which had suddenly rose into his own head. 

'She is so innocent.....' Shuyin thought in awe, as Yuna continued to blink at him as if he merely asked what the time was. '..I can use her purity against her....for Lenne..'

Yuna rubbed the backs of her elbows, unsure how to answer. "Um.....what do you mean?"

Shuyin tried to hold back a laugh. "You know," he replied in a teasing tone, his eyebrows rising into a devilish arch.

Yuna blushed at the sheer intensity of his gaze, and the playful manner he was emanating, but she couldn't help but feel there was a spark of danger to this 'game' they were playing. "I don't understand." Yuna answered weakly, deciding to take the honest route. 'What mood. Its too dark outside to do anything and there is no board games or anything on board to play with...'

"How old are you Yuna?" Shuyin then blurted out suddenly, taking one step towards the confused brunette

"19."

"So young," he mused softly, closing his eyes in thought with a gentle frown. 'The age I was before my life and happiness. crumbled down before me.'

Yuna pulled her hands behind her back, tugging her long braid in a shy habit of nervousness. "Um.... why do you say that?"

The blond's eyes opened, staring at Yuna as if he had awakened from a dream. "I'm 1019 years of age," he answered after a moment with a sigh. "A thousand years separate us...... I am an old ruin hidden within my body of youth." Shuyin said to himself as he stared down at his bare unmarred hands, flexing his wrists as his smooth skin clenched around his knuckles. He rose his head again turning to stare at Yuna, noting the large wooden dresser behind her and the large mirror which displayed his visage.

"I have not once seen my face for over a millennia." Shuyin said in awe as his trembling fingers rose slowly upwards to trace the side of his face, raising towards his brow before siding down his cheek. "I look different....no.....I just feel different." He whispered to himself as he took a few steps towards the mirror and stared at the man who seemed so different , so unlike he had ever seen before.

"I used to look at my face back then and feel so proud....call it vanity... I was the Number 1 Star Player of the Zanarkand Abes, and I knew I was a 'looker' , and that many girls had the hots for me.....It made me feel so confident......But now...things have changed......all I can see in my face is pain.... and weakness...I don't feel like the perfect guy that believed he could take on the world back then. I feel defeated. My eyes look.... blank...how can I look the same but look so different?" Shuyin asked as he stared into his eyes which seemed darker than usual, contrasting to the unnatural pallor of his face. He couldn't help but notice the large wet clumps of sand which had nested in his tousled hair. Shuyin believed he couldn't look anymore of a mess if he tried.

"I look like crap..." the blond uttered dejectedly to himself as he stared down at his scrawny form, seeming pasty underneath the duvet wrapped around him. 'How will I be able to manipulate this Yuna girl with my looks when I look like I have been run over by a dozen chocobos.'

Yuna watched with interest at the blond who had his eyes fixed on his reflection, bearing a present frown that was plastered across his face.

"I wouldn't say that.... You should see when I am in Bikanel Oasis, I always end up coated head to foot in the wet sand after Rikku pushes me into the water, and a nearby Hypello accused me of being a man-eating fiend when I tried to attack my friends who were laughing..."

Shuyin couldn't help but crack a smile. "I'd like to see that."

Yuna shook her head. "Um...no you wouldn't....But if you want to know, I can show you the shower...."

"Have you got a lover Yuna?" Shuyin interjected before Yuna managed to finish her sentence.

Yuna abruptly blinked in confusion bending her head down in embarrassment. "I...I......no.." she said coyly, raising her head but to her surprise, Shuyin in that space of time had crossed the distance between, and was now standing much closer than a polite distance to her.

"You're very beautiful.." Shuyin answered softly raising one of his hands to trace the paleness of her cheek, tilting his head to engage her reaction.

".Th..thank you." Yuna answered, looking down trying not to look at his face, before realising that she was getting a great view of a pair of manly pectorals. Her face shot up immediately in embarrassment to be looking at his body in such a...... girlish manner? She took a few steps back in coyness, yelping slightly when he she felt the back of her calf connect with the end of a bed behind her.

Shuyin couldn't hide the ghost of a smirk which rose on his face. 'So she does find me attractive. This act may work after all...' He felt something shift inside of him, and he felt that he was once more the boisterous Blitzball teen that everyone liked and loved. The blond inched his face closer to Yuna's flushed one. "I merely speak the truth. Your face is exquisite," Shuyin pressed on, eyeing for the first time that Yuna had two coloured eyes, one as dark forests of green, and one as pure as the never-ending sea. 'She's a very pretty girl..'

Shuyin moved his face even closer that he swore he could hear the sound fast thumps coming from her chest. "Tell me Yuna, do you believe in love at first sight?" he asked in his best husky tone possible, raising his other hand that was once clutching the bedding to his chest, to Yuna's bare shoulder.

Yuna's eyes dilated in shock but didn't make any move to remove his hands off her face and shoulder.

Shuyin took her silence as a cue to continue on as he brushed an idle bang out of the girl's vision. He tried to make himself look as alluring as possible to the charm the awe struck female into his trap. "We are two different entities, taken from two different worlds and spliced together. A thousand years separates us. I have only truly met you today, yet it feels as if I have know you forever. We are both different. In need of a friend. A special person to be with. Are you willing to make the reach between us? To go beyond our suffering. To help me heal...to bring back hope into my life, forever and always?"

Yuna swallowed deeply at the in-depth words. Her mind seemed to freeze at the proposition he was wooing her with. 'Always.....no.....Tidus.....I....'

Her mind suddenly went blank as she felt the hand wrap itself around her waist and she couldn't help but gasp when she was forcefully drawn to the blond's solid chest. Yuna gazed up in surprise when she felt the blond move his head down to the side of her cheek and neck, nuzzling her face in a sensual way which made Yuna once again lost for words. She stood there silently in the blond's arms, her hands frozen and her mind blank to everything that had happened earlier and how she had fell into such an embrace.

'Tidus...'

"Kiss me Yuna," Yuna's head rose up in surprise and became lost in the passionate pools of blue, and the soft lips which were beckoning her to reach forward and.... Her mind suddenly exploded into a thousand of pyreflies for before she knew it, Shuyin had latched his bronze lips against her. Yuna froze in shock, unable to move as she felt the warm stroke of his tongue slide across her bottom lip. She gasped in surprise and that was all it took for the blond to plunge his tongue into her sweet nectar depths, wrapping his arms firmly around her hips as he pushed her down with his body weight upon the bed.

Yuna felt swept up with the emotions which had flooded the core of her body and the man above her which was ravishing her mouth with her lips. Shuyin pulled his lips from hers, staring at her flush face and her lips that were now slightly plump from his kissing. He stroked the side of her neck soothingly, watching the girl's eyes lower. He listened to her erratic breathing as her chest rose heavily up and down, before raising his eyes to see her lips part in an attempt to speak. 

"..Ti...Tidus...."

'Tidus? What the heck?' And then with utmost haste, his eyes hardened and his soft grip increased till he was clenching the pulse upon the girls neck.

"Shuyin! What...what are you doing..." Yuna gasped out in horror as she felt her whole body become drowsy, her eyes slowly going closed to the firm grip against her neck.

"Sorry Yuna, you should _never_ _trust_ _anyone_. Especially **me**...."

Those were the last few words Yuna heard before her world fell to darkness.....

The blond's face blanched in surprise as he peeled his hands away from the unconscious girl. "Tidus? How in Spira does she know that name? I haven't heard anyone call me that since I last played Blitzball, and that was a thousand years ago ...." He stood in surprise as the information sunk in, his face frowning in confusion. "No matter. I can find that out another time,." Shuyin muttered to himself rubbing his forehead as an oncoming headache began to make himself aware.

"Now the girl is out of commission, I have this ship for my own..." The blond thought with tainted happiness, as he stared towards the direction of the door which lead to the elevator. He was so close to his goal, and there was no way he was going to slip up now. He was a winner, for what he aimed for, he achieved, what he wanted, he got instantly. And he wanted this ship, and he would go through any means to get it.

A wicked smirk rose to his lips at his victory, which soon disappeared as his eyes fell once again on the girl on the bed.

"What should I do with this girl?" Shuyin thought out aloud, watching Yuna's rise and fall of her breast.

"I know that she is going to give me problems when I wake up.....I could kill her....but...no.....Lenne would hate me for that....after all this girl did help me somewhat...I guess I owe not to take her life, yet.." The blond mused padding closer to the bed. 'And besides, I still need to get s few more answers out of her.'

"You are a lucky girl Yuna, for I'm giving you the chance to live longer." Shuyin said softly, leaning down to brush his lips against the girl's forehead. "Sweet dreams."

And with that, the blond made a move towards the stairs and left the cabin, not forgetting to pet one of the feathered chocobos on the way out before he locked the door behind him.

"Now, the fun begins," Shuyin said in a cheeky chuckle to himself, grinning wildly as he dashed to the elevator and closed the doors shut. His eyes crossed over the control panel, before firmly pumping his hand down upon the floor for the bridge.

He felt the elevator once again rumble to life, and before he knew it, he was standing out on the hallway to the bridge. Jogging over the metal platform, Shuyin crossed the portal to the bridge, gaping due to the sheer size of the machine surrounding him.

"How awesome!" Shuyin said in delight, knowing that he was a man who had always held an inside interest for technology. Walking to the captain's seat within the centre of the room, Shuyin easily leapt in and got himself comfortable, not forgetting to cross the seatbelts across his form. He gazed down at the panel before him, trying to decipher the language which he clearly noted was Al Bhed.

"How the heck do I start this thing? Come on Shu, what looks like a button that will start this thing?" the blonde asked himself as he gazed at the three rows of keyboards alongside a large metal gear stick.

"Come on you stupid piece of machina. Stupid machine." Shuyin groaned, slamming his fists over random buttons in an attempt to bring the screen to life. After a few minutes of random hitting and twisting of various buttons and togs, the blonde slammed his head upon the side of the panel with irritation.

"Gah! It was much easier to work Vegnagun. All you need to have was a hint of musical talent." Shuyin moaned, repeatedly thumping his head none too gently upon the side of the metal panel. "Come on. Please work. I am so close to saving Lenne. This is too cruel." Shuyin groaned to himself, rising his head to glare at the annoying piece of machina with all of its grey and black buttons, and that abnormally large red one just in front of his nose.

'Red button?'

Shuyin's eyes widened before narrowing in mock annoyance. "Hey. I swear that wasn't there before." he whined to himself as he moved his a digit towards the red push button. "Come on, this better work."

Nothing happened for a moment and Shuyin was getting to the point that he would wake up Yuna in the Cabin to see if she can sort it out. But suddenly a gleam flashed across the screen and suddenly, the screen booted to life and the map of Spira rose to his vision. "Hey! It worked. Now....urrr....what's that?" Shuyin paused his mid celebration as a warning signal rose on the screen before transforming into a Password identification.

"A password?!? Oh come on. This is getting beyond stupid....." Shuyin exclaimed as he thumped the panel in front of him, watching as a slip of paper slid beneath a hidden slot above the panel and into his lap.

"What the..." the blonde asked in puzzlement, picking up the note and eyeing the less than legible text. "PASSWORD- YUNAPALOOZA"

The blonde reread the password once. Then twice.

"Yuna-Pa-what the heck? What's with these crazy Spirians of today? Can't they think of a normal password or something Urgh..." Shuyin groaned as he punched in the letters, and to his amazement the screen before him flickered to life.

****

"Celsius online and normal."

"It has a voice?!?" Shuyin answered in surprise, trying to find where the voice came from.

"Mode- Autopilot or manual,". It took a moment for Shuyin to realise that the ship was dressing him.

A sweat drop fell down his face. "Urrr....Autopilot?"

"Autopilot confirmed. Destination required," 

"Wait!I haven't decided yet,"

"Waitihavyetdecideyet does not exist, please try another destination."

Shuyin felt his blood begin to boil. "What the hell.......Take me to.... 'Zanarkand'."

"**Zanarkand Ruins confirmed. 10 seconds before take off."**

Shuyin's eyes widened in surprise as lights started to flicker above him and the cockpit trembled before him before the sound of the engine roared to life.

The blond could only gasp as he felt himself lurch in his seat as the Celsius began to hastily move forward, and by the time he realised that he had closed his eyes and had to reopen them, he was soaring through the air.

"Don't worry Lenne, my love, I'm coming for you...." And with that the Celsius zipped across the sky towards the direction of the rising sun.

..........................................................................................................................................

What do you guys think? I enjoyed writing this chapter as I have been trying to gage how an in character Yuna would react to being alone with Shuyin and vice versa. 

I wanted the ending to show how a snippet of what Shuyin is like, and try to show a hint of Tidus' personality, as my aim is to see how I can develop Shuyin's dark spirit into goodness with the progress of this story. 

Please review, so I know what you guys think.

Ja ne

Aer_seph4eva

Any questions? Comments? Feel more than happy to email me at......

Aer_seph4eva@yahoo.co.uk


	3. New Journeys aren’t so bad after all

****

FFX-2 101% Past and Present combined

Chapter 3

New Journeys aren't so bad after all

Word count- 8333

Yuna/Tidus

Shuyin/Lenne

****

Shuyin/Yuna

What happens if the Fayth misinterpreted Yuna's wishers and brought back Shuyin instead of Tidus?

Wow, now that was a lot of reviews in a short space of time. Thank you so much!!!!

I guess you guys want to know what's going to happen next....

Happy reading, On with the Fic...

"Don't worry Lenne, my love, I'm coming for you...." And with that the Celsius zipped across the sky towards the direction of the rising sun.

..........................................................................................................................................

"What do you mean she's gone, Wakka?" Rikku exclaimed with wide eyes, as she tried desperately to untie herself from the blanket that was covering her. It felt like she had only been sleeping for mere few hours, before a red flame shook her none to gently out of her sleep. After successfully clambering out of bed, and taking a few jaw pooping yawns, she turned to gaze at the clock on the table to see '07:45am' glaring in her direction.

'Man that's early for me. I normally sleep till noon.' The blonde thought with yet another yawn, slapping her cheeks in an attempt to awaken her sluggish form.

Wakka's chestnut eyes clouded over with worry as he began pacing within the empty Inn. The residents who had immediately departed after hearing of the missing heroine. "I don't know what's going on. Nobody can find her and we have searched practically all of Besaid. I feel so useless, you know," The Blitzer remarked with a regretful sigh, scratching the faint stubble on his chin. "What if she got caught by a fiend, or fell of a cliff, or maybe got caught out at sea or got mugged or kidnapped or-"

"Wakka! Stop scaring me. How long has everyone been looking for her, and why didn't anyone wake me up?" Rikku questioned all in one breath, her face changing into an anxious tone, as she clenched her hands on her chest.

"Urr...'Bout an hour ago. Paine tried to wake you earlier but you didn't seem to budge, so she went to help me and the boys." Wakka responded frowning deeply with worry.

"Oh no. Where could Yuna be?" Rikku questioned to herself, thinking of the various spots on the island. "Come on Wakka, we have to find her, she may need our help!"

Rikku then began a mad dash to pull on her boots and pick up her garment grid before half running, half tugging Wakka out with her.

Rikku's green eyes widened at all the sound and chaos which seemed to be around her. It seemed everyone was looking for Yuna. The village children were seen searching through the long grasses, while others used their pet canines to sniff a path around the houses in order to find their missing heroine.

"RIKKU! RIKKU!" Came a sharp yet familiar high pitch cry. Rikku and Wakka both pivoted around to see Brothers sprinting as fast as he could to his sister.

"What is it? Have you found her?" Rikku asked in excitement, watching as her blond Mohawk brother slumped down at her feet, half panting, half sobbing out the pain from his chest.

"She...She...is gone....My baby..." Brother whined before falling into a full out sob, as he grasped Rikku's leg and tried to use it to comfort his pain.

"Stop your blubbering, and don't call Yuna your baby." Rikku said in irritation as she struggled to get the blond's grip of her leg.

"I didn't mean Yuna!" Brother snarled out before sobbing once more. "My ship, my beautiful Celsius ship. She has been stolen as well as Yuna. Someone has stolen both of my loves."

Rikku's mind went suddenly blank for the moment. "Our Gullwing ship is stolen! Oh no!" The girl exclaimed as she too began to hyperventilate. "And I had all my coolest clothes on there. And......OH NO!" Rikku's mouth trembled as her large green orbs began to water. "MY CHOCOBO WAS ON THERE TOO!" Rikku screamed out before falling on to her knees in hysterics.

A dark shadow soon passed upon the crying duo where a dark female stood frowning at her team-mates behaviour.

"SILENCE!" The female warrior commanded sharply, her crimson eyes narrowing into slits to put an end to the pathetic sobbing.

"Shush, and think." Paine said sternly, glaring down at the two blondes who had now begun to raise their watery eyes to look up into her non too pleased face. "Crying won't solve anything. Someone has stolen the ship and Yuna's missing. Anyone got any ideas what happened?"

"I don't know," Rikku whined, crawling onto her knees to her dark haired friend and gripping tightly upon her leg in a similar action which Brother did to her moments earlier. "The last time I saw her, hi-cupsob- was after the bonfire sob- where she said something, like she wanted to have some time to herself."

"So that was when she left." Paine mused, rubbing her chin in thought.

"Rikku, did Yuna tell you where she wanted to go?" The warrior questioned, sighing in annoyance after seeing Brother quite literally looking like he was going to throw up from overwhelming sadness.

Rikku thought for a moment, trying to remember the last moment she saw her best friend. But the only snips of the party which came to her mind was the music, the drinking and the cute boys she danced all night with. "No, but I guess she probably went to the beach pier, maybe?" The blonde answered with a slight shrug, remembering seeing Yuna whistle out for 'him' before she even joined the Gullwings.

Paine took the area into account. "The Pier."

"You know, da waves were pretty bad yesterday." Wakka chipped in, wringing his hands weakly.

The warrior nodded. "Hmmm, then we should perhaps search that area for clues on her whereabouts?" She questioned nonchalantly, pulling Rikku to her feet, contemplating about Brother, before sighing with disgust as she let him whimper on the floor.

Wakka's face dramatically paled with a sudden thought after listening to the tone of the brunette's voice. "Are you saying.....dat.....dat.... Yuna may have drowned?" Rikku couldn't hold a gasp of horror, as her eyes almost bulged from her sockets.

Paine's face darkened in thought for a moment before turning calm once again. "It is unlikely, but sometimes assuming the worst is the best place to start," the warrior said as coolly as she could, but even she couldn't hold back the apprehension which crept into her voice.

"Yunie is not dead!" Rikku shrieked in alarm, her eyes burning at the thought that her cousin may have crossed over to the Farplane....She shook her head fiercely. "No. It's not possible...... Yunie is alive!"

"We all hope so too Rikku." Paine replied in earnest, although she refrained from saying more.

"Maybe she is on the Celsius. She always said she wanted to ride that thing." Rikku thought out loud. "Yeah! And she just wanted a whiz around Spira and will be back soon. Yep!" The blonde thought happily to herself, rubbing her hands together.

"But's..... that's........ not possible." Brother countered, becoming suddenly serious. "She would at least need a key to get on Boooaarr....?" Brother became suddenly silent.

"What is it Bro? You know something so spit it out!" Rikku urged as she tugged on her brother's ear.

"OWW! Sheesh, stop that! I gave Yuna a Key-card when she became a Gullwing." Brother responded, while tugging on Rikku's braids in revenge.

"Owwwaaa! Why did you give Yuna one and not me?" Rikku whined as she managed to twirl out of her brother's grasp, sticking her tongue out in victory.

"Cause I did give you one and you lost it remember!" The blonde all but exclaimed in frustration as he rubbed a hand through his Mohawk.

"Oops. Eh ehe heh?" Rikku responded, with weak laughter suddenly remembering the Shoopuf ride.

Paine pushed past the small blonde, now that Brother was talking sense. "Is there a way to contact her if she is on the ship?"

Brother shrugged his shoulders. "Buddy and Shinra are trying to calculate in the Temple if there is a way. Do you want to see them?"

Paine shook her head. "Not yet. Come on, Rikku, Wakka, we should look around. We cannot be totally sure that Yuna is on the ship, besides there maybe some clues hanging around on her whereabouts.."

"Alright! This is Mission Time! Find Yunie!" Rikku cried out, pumping her fist to the air. Paine merely rolled her eyes before tugging Rikku in the direction of the beach.

..........................................................................................................................................

"Owww...my head hurts," Yuna groaned as she rubbed her sore neck. Her eyes opened hazily as she stared up at the glyphs upon the ceiling of the cabin. Their many swirls and colours were starting to make Yuna have a headache.

"Ugh...I'm in Bed? And why does it feel like I am moving?" The brunette felt her eyes fall shut once again, before suddenly becoming very, very still.

"Oh no...."

Her eyes widened in horror at the remembrance of what happened in the night, and with a short cry of horror, Yuna leapt off the bed, dashing to the side of the banister and used her shortcut and leapt over the barricade and onto the lower floor. Taking no time to compose herself, the brunette dashed over to the door, but to her utmost dismay, it refused to budge.

"He didn't..." Yuna shook her head from side to side as she pummelled her small fists into the door in a hope that it may open in her struggles.

"Shuyin! Shuyin let me out of here! SHUYIN!"

.......................................................................................................................................

Shuyin's eyes held firm as he stared at the passing clouds through the main screen.

"Why is it taking so long to get there?" The blond grumbled to himself as he clenched his hands tighter around his form, shivering fiercely. Perhaps it may have been due to almost drowning last night and not having the pleasure of drying himself off, or maybe it could be related to that fact that he still did not have an suitable clothes to wear other than a duvet which had now became damp all over.

"Damn. I haven't really thought this out," the blond cursed to himself as he dragged his hands through his knotty blond hair, wincing slightly, when his fingers got tangled halfway through.

"Argh! Ow!" Shuyin moaned. "Darn hair! I've got a head-ache now," the Blitzballer grumbled to himself, rubbing his head to relieve the throbbing pain.

"This is definitely not my day..." The blond groaned, slamming a fist upon his damp thigh.

"And what will I do with that woman? I wonder if she has awoken up yet?" Shuyin pondered the thought for a moment. " Maybe I should check on her to waste time, and check she is not up to no good." And with that remaining thought domineering his actions onwards, Shuyin turned back towards the cabin.

...............

one knock

"Hey, girl, you awake in there?" Shuyin called from over the door, as he leant his face against the cabin door, listening on the other side for sounds. His face jerked back suddenly as the door suddenly trembled with a shuddering force which caused the blond to reel backwards in surprise. After blinking for a few moments, he realised how it was caused, after hearing the sound of a female muffled voice on the other side of the door.

"Shu...in......let....out......you.."

"Oi! I can't hear you! Shout louder!" Shuyin responded within a mocking chuckle, placing his hands on both of his hips.

From the other side of the door, Yuna drew in a large breath.

Shuyin's lips twisted into a cruel smirk of victory as he leant closer to the door. "I can't hear you!"

****

"LET ME OUT!"

The blond couldn't help but wince as her voice managed to get through the steel door and into his now ringing ears.

"GAH! I think you almost made my ears bleed," Shuyin responded with a scowl as he clamped his hands over his sore ears.

"Shu.....let........out......NOW!" Yuna continued to cry out as she relentlessly pounded at the door.

"You didn't say please," Shuyin joked, trailing his fingers against the login panel.

The door was silent for a moment.

"Pl....please?"

The blond blinked before bursting out into reels of laughter. "Hah! It was a joke."

"............jerk." Yuna muttered as she slammed her fists against the door before turning around.

The brunette frowned to herself in annoyance. 'He is so frustrating AND he is mocking me. I can't let him get to me. Perhaps I can trick him to open the door.....but how...?"

Yuna turned around to stare at the items in the room, where layers of clothes littered the areas upon the ground. 'The bar...the music area....no that won't help me....the chocobo.....think Yuna....what would cause the greatest commotion.?' Yuna crept across the room eyeing for anything that could help her. 'I guess I'll have to put my acting skills to use,' The brunette thought to herself as she strode over towards the staircase. "This is when I wish Rikku was here, she's so great at thinking of spontaneous plaa---Argh!" She screamed out in surprise when she felt her foot become caught within some clothes, and before she knew it, she felt herself falling backwards with a shrill cry. The chocobo who was once sleeping, was now awake and squawking in shock to being jolted awake. Her arms flailed out in surprise to collide against the microphone-stand which fell upon her and forced her to the ground with a heavy slam. Yuna laid their blinking, as she tried to fathom what had exactly happened. She struggled to move the stand, which proved futile due to the wrapped wires that were pinning her arms and legs in a rather uncomfortable position. The brunette could hear the sound of banging from outside the door. Her face paling at her strange yet unfortunate circumstance she had got herself into.

'At least I created a commotion,' Yuna chuckled to herself, before cringing in discomfort when the movement disturbed her bruised chest.

"Help....?" Was the last thing the brunette thought of before she promptly fainted.

........................................................................................

CRASH!SLAMEEK

"Woman...." Shuyin knocked the door, hearing nothing but the cries of the chocobo.

".............Yuna?" He wrapped the door once more, swearing that he heard the sound of a groan from beyond the door. Something was definitely wrong, and the blond couldn't help but feel somewhat worried. He shook his head in irritation, unconsciously raising his hand to reach the door panel before freezing.

'Wait Shu, this could a trap,' His conscious warned him, as his eyes darkened with the past remembrance when Yuna goaded him on by pretending to be his Lenne.

"You here me Girl! I know you are up to something, and I will not be fooled into letting you out of that room!" Shuyin growled out, fisting one of his hands and slamming it forcefully on the door.

"Answer me!" the blond exclaimed, after hearing no response.

"Oh fine! If you are going to play it that way, it's fine. I hope you '**_Starve to death'_** in there!" Shuyin shouted, his breaths coming out in short pants as he turned to leave. But just as he began to pace in the other direction, he heard a faint rasp which managed to pass through the metal barricade and into his ears.

"......Help..?"

His shoulders slumped weakly in thought at his actions. As much as he hated the people of Spira, he knew he couldn't ignore a plea for help. With an irritated sigh, the blond turned and moved back towards the door, eyeing the panel once again before punching the buttons to unlocked the door, watching as it opened with a slight hiss.

"What the hell?" He asked out loud in surprise, his eyes instantly locking upon the jumbled mass of wires, clothes and limbs across the other side of the room. Walking through the portal and somehow getting his away around the yellow feathered bird, Shuyin called out the brunette's name who made no response.

"Yuna!" The blond called out again as he walked slowly towards her, peering down at her disorderly form. He kneeled down carefully within his makeshift robe, eyeing the girl who had her head turned away from him. He wasn't even sure she was awake or not, as her hair was tousled all over her face. But there was no sight of blood, so Shuyin assumed it was a good sign. Shuyin bent towards the girl even closer, taking in the heavy metal pole that was lying over the motionless girl.

"Hey! You alive in there?" The blond asked with light humour, tapping the Yuna's arms, again gaining no response. His eyebrows frowned deeper in worry, hoping that the girl had not sustained anything too serious. His frown deepened in bemusement at the idea upon why he was even worrying about another's wellbeing. He dismissed it quickly, not wanting to lose himself to his thoughts. Shaking his head, the blond moved his hand to grasp the metal pole and pulled it upwards with little exertion, realising for the first time that it was a microphone stand. He eyed it curiously, before tossing it to the side as it evoked feelings of another time era he didn't want to think about at that moment. Shuyin turned his attention back on the brunette eyeing the thin cable which was wrapped around her feet and thighs.

"Poor girl. How did you get yourself in such a mess?" The blonde mumbled with a slight chuckle contemplating upon whether to help the girl or not. After seeing no response from the brunette, Shuyin shuffled closer and began to tediously attempt to untie the leads, his body unconsciously leaning upon Yuna's when he reached over to untie the bonds around her arms and wrists.

Yuna felt something shift above her as she cracked open her eyes, staring up through her honey hued bangs at a blurry object which seemed to get more clear after every second. It was then she saw something glisten in her vision, a silver shining object which hung from a backdrop of bronze. Yuna blinked a final time to realise the large expanse was in fact a chest that was leaning over her.

'Who?'

Her eyes widened further at the symbol of Zanarkand that was dangling in front of her. 'It can't be..' She tilted her head suddenly to the left, surprised to see Shuyin's face looking above her head, his face scrunched up in concentration as he seemed to be doing something with her arms above her face.

A gasp alerted Shuyin suddenly of the girl's consciousness, and his previous actions froze. Even to him, their position seem somewhat provocative although it was mutually innocent. Sea hued eyes locked onto blue in a timeless moment, and before the Shuyin knew was happening, Yuna was kicking and screaming against him, wrenching her arms from of hold as she attempted to get her attacker off.

Teal eyes wide at the unexpected assault, Shuyin moved himself into a dominant position over Yuna in an attempt to still her hands and feet. "Hey stop that! Ow, jeez not the hair." Shuyin groaned in pain, rubbing his head as Yuna did a sudden push and sent the blond sprawling backwards with the unexpected amount of energy. Swiftly getting to her feet with a groan of pain from her earlier fall, Yuna dashed to the entrance before being tackled down before she even reached the door. Shuyin panted heavily over her, as his body leaned his full weight upon her, rendering her immobile, face pressing against the floor. Yuna still tried to relentlessly squirm, gasping, and crying out profanities for the blond to release her.

"I knew I couldn't trust you!" Yuna yelled as she tried to get out from under the blond which prove futile due since Shuyin was sitting on her waist, and that her arms were held behind her back.

"I never said I could be trusted. Now calm down or I'll be forced to hurt you." Shuyin warned, glaring daggers at the girl who as of late had been annoying the hell out him.

"Get off me this instant!" Yuna countered back as she bucked her hips upwards, in an attempt to push him off her like she did before.

"Gah! Stop squirming woman!" Shuyin, biting his lip to hold back a groan, when she touched 'that' spot.

"I would if you let go of me!" Yuna bit back repeating her previous moment. Shuyin couldn't hold back the moan as the girl pushed against his pelvic bone, and in that split second he grabbed the girl's shoulders and turned her around so that she was now facing him.

His eyes were blazing cobalt as his leering down at the woman in his arms who was panting to a equal intensity as he.

"You-" Shuyin began but his voice became caught in his throat as he gazed down at the woman in his arms whose eyes were closed. A sweet scent tickled his nose, reminding him of fresh strawberries, before realising that it was the girl's own perfume. Her powder pink lips unconsciously puckered upwards in a poise of seduction. The blond's mouth suddenly went dry as the girl's long black eyelashes fluttered above her rouged cheeks...

The blond felt his mind become mush as he gazed down at the girl's form. She was so beautiful....

His grip tightened and then as if unaware from his own actions he felt himself being pulled towards the female and his lips met hers. He opened his mouth slightly to brush his wet tongue against the soft folds of her mouth, tasting the faint taste of strawberries upon her breath. Yuna's eyes flew open in surprise as she felt herself being drawn into a warm, tight embrace. Her head was reeling with emotions that she couldn't even think straight. Everything about him was so intoxicating. His smell. The softness of his skin. The locks of his hair, brushing against her forehead, as soft as chocobo feathers. As Yuna began to finally accept the kiss, she felt the blond push down further above her, and what was once a innocent kiss, had become more passionate. It was then Yuna realised what she was doing, or more correctly who she was doing it with, and she used all her strength to push back Shuyin, but he merely gripped her tighter and added more pressure upon her bruising lips. The blond, however was oblivious to the girl's struggles as he was caught up in his own moments of passion, trying to remember the last time that he had kissed a woman, made love to a woman. He knew he falling fast as he felt his lower half harden in fervour, removing his lips to finally breath as he sent kisses down the side of the girl's neck and across her shoulders.

"Shuyin!" Yuna gasped out, as she finally had the moment to breather oxygen back into her lungs. Her eyes wide and fearful at of the blond and the inability to move out of the one sided embrace. Shuyin was still holding her hands in an iron grip and her mind was in too much trauma too even fight back.

She choked back a cry when she felt his hips rubbing against her lower stomach, realising for the first time that his duvet must have fallen away in their struggles. Yuna couldn't fight back the tears when she realised what was exactly happening to her.

'He.....he....is gonna...rr-.'

Shuyin suddenly froze when he felt the girl quiver beneath him. Slowly moving his lips from the side of her neck, the blond lifted his head and was surprised to see a crystal-like liquid oozing down the side of the girl's face. It took him a while before he fully registered what they were.

'Tears? She is crying?'

He had not remembered what crying was, after all of his time he had been travelling around Spira. Shuyin began to question himself why he felt a deep twinge of pain in his heart when he watched the tears slide down the girl's cheeks in pure sorrow. His eyes darkened suddenly as a flash of Lenne's face appeared into his mind, and her tears which fell silently as she reached out for one last touch of his hand......

"I...." Shuyin instantly let Yuna's hands drop, pulling back from the girl as if burned.

"I didn't mean...." The blond began, scooting backwards, ashamed of what had almost took place. He looked at Yuna and couldn't fight the urge to turn his head away as Lenne's face seemed to appear over Yuna's. Crying in pain and shame over him. His failure as a man to protect, and his selfish needs to get what he wanted.

But Yuna continued to remain their as if she was still beneath his hold.

Shuyin felt his own eyes blurring as he hastily blinked them away. He did not want to remember that place ever again. He did not want to remember Bevelle and what happened in that room. But as much as he fought it, the emotions were too strong and they poured out of his very being, cascading down his face.

'I made that woman cry....I made Lenne cry...I....'

Yuna after a moment struggled to her knees as she heard the sobbing from the other male. Carefully not making a sound, she got into a sitting position. If she crawled a little further, she would be able to get out of the room and call for help. However, her eyes trailed back to the sobbing man on the floor who was punching the floor beneath him. Yuna felt her own eyes glaze, knowing that she was seeing once again her Tidus within the fallen blond. Rising herself unsteadily to her feet, she felt herself unconsciously moving forward, taking one step and then another, before reaching the blond who had his head dipped down. His demeanour reminded her earlier upon the beach, and Yuna once again felt compassion for the blond. Even after everything he did, everything he had said, she still couldn't help but feel sympathy for the blond who had suffered so much.

"Weak. So weak.....Pathetic. Cursed...Why?"

Her face softened when she deciphered his mumbling, seeing Shuyin once again on his knees in the Farplane, where Lenne reached out to console him....

__

"Shuyin," the girl breathed as she moved closer towards him. Shuyin rose his head after he heard her name tilting his head in question, watching in confusion as the brunette spread her arms out from her sides, trying to register her meaning.

His lover was the first to initiate contact while Shuyin involuntarily responded to her, drawing his arms around her waist, leaning his face against her stomach, in wistful repose.....

Shuyin jerked slightly when he felt a hand fall upon his head, and then before he knew it, he felt warm arms wrap around his bare shoulders. He looked up in surprise to see Yuna standing above him, her eyes slightly glazed over as she pulled his face to her stomach, stroking his hair in a rather soothing manner. Shuyin sighed deeply, unable to fight against the warm fingers entwining themselves in his hair, and the soft murmuring from the girl above. Slowly raising his hands from the floor, the blond moved his hands slowly around the girl's waist, returning the embrace.

"Why?" Shuyin asked after a moment, his voice muffled against the girl's stomach, feeling far too comfortable to move away although in the back of his mind he knew what he was doing was rather inappropriate, even though Yuna came onto him first. A few hours ago, he was contemplating on killing the girl, but now he was using her as if he were cuddling his girlfriend. But even as that thought crossed his mind, he still couldn't find it in himself to let go, his hands slightly tightening their hold.

It was then Yuna suddenly awoke from her thoughts and found herself standing in front of Shuyin, with his head against her stomach. She blinked a few times trying to comprehend exactly what had happened to get her in such a position.

She had unconsciously re-enacted her memory of Lenne and Shuyin's reunion in her mind, and had awoken to see that she had not only re-enacted it mentally, but physically as well.

"Why?" she breathed, unable to speak over the thundering of her heart. What she had experienced felt so complex and surreal. She couldn't even fathom what had happened to cause the positions that they were in together. It felt like Lenne was once with her feelings again, and evoking her thoughts of dreams of love and hope of Shuyin in her mind.

'But how is that possible? Lenne's spirit left me and the sphere.....'

'How is this happening? '

'Is it because I care for Tidus? I see Tidus in Shuyin?'

'....or is it because I don't want to see Shuyin in pain?'

Yuna frowned in thought, not liking the idea where her pondering was taking her, but she knew that the blond was expecting some sort of answer. "Shuyin....I know you are in pain and you are angry," she began softly, letting her compassionate side control her opinion. "I want to help you. I know that what you are trying to do is for your love for Lenne." Yuna said softly, petting the blond's tresses carefully.

Shuyin sighed in pleasure as she felt her hands in his hair. It felt so nice to have another body touching his in such a calming manner. He felt his eyes go heavy lidded as his shoulders relaxed.

"I'm weak." Shuyin admitted after a moment with a regretful sigh, raising his head to meet the brunette who said nothing, continuing to brush his hair, imaging herself as the role of a mother. 'I wonder what Shuyin's mother looked like....' The thought soon departed when the image of Tidus' parents popped once more into the Ex-Summoner's head, where she witnessed their astral projection in the Farplane within the memory of her pilgrimage. 'Oh, their parents 'would' look the same. What a silly thought...' She giggled quietly to herself at her thinking causing a pair of azure eyes to raise up in question.

"Huh?" Shuyin blinked sleepily, fatigue shining deeply within his eyes.

Yuna's face couldn't help but feel herself swoon at the look. "Shhh," she cooed, slowly disengaging her hands from his form although he made no movement to remove his hands from her waist. "Hey," Yuna said a little more forcefully as she felt the blond rub his face against her stomach in a rather alluring manner which sent the butterflies in her stomach into a flapping frenzy.

"Shuyin," Yuna began once more not really understanding what the blond was trying to accomplish. Assuming that Shuyin was merely playing around with her, Yuna stood still, feeling her face burning from the hot hands surrounding her and the face which was now sensually rubbing against her abdomen. Placing one hand on the blond's shoulder, Yuna tried to pry the Blitzballer off her but Shuyin shook his head swiftly side to side. The movement causing the brunette to shiver as his hands tensed around her in a possessive manner.

"We can 'play' later," Yuna started once more, her hands slightly shaking above the blond's shoulders. "You need to rest Shuyin." she added as an afterthought as she felt his arms slightly loosen around her form although she was aware of his fingers massaging her hips in a rather disconcerting manner.

Shuyin after a moment sighed regrettably into her stomach pausing his head movements. "I can't...The nightmares keep me awake...." his voice unusually quiet and muffled from Yuna's shirt that she had to strain to his words.

Yuna blinked shaking her head. "What?"

"I'm such a baby." He groaned, keeping his head down from the girl's eyes to relieve his embarrassment. "I cry at everything that upsets me. That is not how a man is supposed to act."

"I don't view it that way. I believe crying shows you have a heart and feelings." Yuna tried to sooth, trying to raise his head to view hers with her hand. This was a part of the good Shuyin that she knew was hiding within him. All she needed to do was set him free.

Shuyin pure blue gaze, stared vividly into Yuna's sea hued orbs. Neither blinked,

They looked at one another trying to discern the other's thoughts and feelings. It was Shuyin who broke off first, turning his head away to stare at the ground in shame. The girl's purity was astounding to him. He felt that he could see all of her emotions swirled within the aquatic shades of her eyes, pulling him down to her core.

"Why are you being nice to me? I hurt you again....I made you cry..." Shuyin breathed, removing one of his hands to raise the trembling digits to her face. But before they rose upwards, Yuna grasped it within both of hers, staring vividly at the fingers, feeling an almost magical spark leap from their hands as she wrapped her fingers around his.

Yuna breathed in deeply, to try and reduce the fast tempo of her heart beat, so when Yuna rose her gaze from their hands to the blond's face, her face displayed a calm serenity and warmth that Shuyin couldn't help but subject himself to. "I forgive those who genuinely admit they were wrong," she said softly, tilting the blond's face upwards so that she was looking down at him, and he was looking up at her.

Shuyin tilted his head to the side, accepting the information, awestricken by the power of the meaning.

"............."

Yuna stared back with an equal intensity, her eyes flickering across the contours of his beauty."............."

Shuyin closed his eyes with a sigh, his black eyelashes fluttering against his pale skin. "I have been such a jerk." Shuyin admitted after a moment, removing the girl's hand from his face, pulling back and staring openly at her, as if viewing her within a different light.

Yuna blushed at Shuyin's scrutiny, as her eyes moved downwards, before swiftly moving upwards when she saw the discarded duvet on the floor. Shuyin saw the coy expression which flittered across the brunette's face and once again he was surprised with the girl's innocence where a blush stained her cheeks.

Yuna after realising she was being stared out, attempted to pull herself out of her embarrassed stance, trying to hide her face in her hair as the blond had taken a keen interest on her, which was making her feel nervous.

Shuyin slowly moved himself to his feet, picking up the duvet and tying it firmly around his waist. "You're too pure. How can you be connected to this world?" Shuyin choked out loud. 'This woman does not exist...Her innocence goes beyond my comprehension.

Yuna blinked in bemusement, rubbing the back of her neck to relieve the stiffness which was rising from her nervousness. "What?"

The blond quirked a slight smile at the girl. 'She is definitely pure hearted...' he thought to himself as he repeated his previous statement. Seeing the brunette's clueless expression, the blond advanced forward, as he felt an emotion inside of him well up, bringing a slight frown to his face. "How do you manage to survive in this evil world? The inhabitants are scum. All money making. Loitering around, planning feuds and slaughter over their pathetic beliefs. How can you stay innocent within a land of pain and suffering."

Yuna's face scrunched up in disagreement to the blond's words. His words seemed to depressingly dark and negative, so different to her own perception of the world. He believed **everyone** were wrongdoers, all corruptors in the Spiran society. Yuna shook her head, trying to dispel such a thought upon Shuyin's representation of society. "Shuyin, not everyone is like that. There are good people in this world. And Spira is re-growing once more, the Calm-"

"No I refuse to believe it. I have seen it all. I know you are just covering, " Shuyin countered back with a outburst, his eyes flaring to life again with an inextinguishable passion. Yuna paused with her mid-comeback, as she stared into his eyes, who seemed to be watching her, ready to pounce.

'I don't want to have another argument. Please Shuyin, can we just get along....'

Yuna lightly chewed her lip, having an utmost idea to where the path of their conversation were going. She wasn't aware she had spoken aloud, flushing slightly at the perturbed look that the blond was giving her.

"........Shuyin. I don't want to talk about this now."

The blond moved his mouth in attempt to speak but Yuna froze his progress as she stepped forward and grabbed one of his hands in both of hers.

"You are heated, and I don't want another past performance of your anger." Yuna said softly, hoping that it would dowse his passion and not become the catalyst for fuelling his anger.

Shuyin scratched the back of his neck in confusion. "Eh-?"

"Lets think of other things." Yuna added, her face softening with relief as she saw the frown drop from the blond's brow.

"You're right." Shuyin admitted once again to Yuna, pulling his hands away from hers as he turned away in thought.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Save Lenne." Shuyin answered with firm determination, his eyes glinting with unconditional love and promise.

Yuna nodded in understanding, already expecting such an answer. "How?"

Shuyin folded his arms over his chest, his back turned away from the brunette. "I need to get back into the Farplane. I set the ship on Autopilot to Zanarkand," the blond replied, as Yuna digested the information.

The two were silent for a moment, and that was what caused Shuyin to jump when he felt Yuna's hand move onto his shoulder, speaking four words which made him gasp. "I will help you."

He blinked a few times, trying to discern whether he heard correctly. "You want to help me?"

Yuna walked to the front of him, nodding firmly. "Yes, Lenne helped me through my story so I will help you through yours."

"But.....ah.....I....." Shuyin began, suddenly at loss for words. He was being offered help.....'Now that was unexpected,' he thought with a wry grin expecting the girl to at least say something upon the lines of 'I never want to see you again, go away and never come back'. His lips twisted upwards at his thinking before falling as he realising that Yuna had asked for an invitation to join him.

"But it's dangerous, and I don't need any help-" Shuyin began, but his speech was interrupted as the brunette started shaking her head with disagreement.

"I want to help. I can fight-"

"Yeah I know," Shuyin responded with a laugh, idly referring to the last battle, before tensing his face with seriousness. "But this is not your problem anymore. This is-"

"Shuyin problem. You want to solve your own problems blah blah blah." The girl muttered, batting her hand is dismissal. She had heard such beliefs from Kimahri and the Ronsos and their reluctance to ask for help, knowing that it came more from pride and egoism than that of the need to succeed.

Shuyin raised a blond eyebrow in question. "Are you mocking me?"

Yuna took a few paces towards the bar, idly brushing her hand against the firm oak table. "No, its just that I knew what you were about to say, and I am fed up of hearing how everyone I know always struggle to fight battles on their own, when there are others willing to help." Her eyes lifted from the dark surface before rising to meet the blond's who was eyeing her, with his hand on hip.

"And besides, if what you said was true, and that Vegnagun has somehow became part of the Farplane again, that would mean that the entire of Spira is in danger." Yuna's eyes suddenly hardened then, as her hands fell to the sides. "Spira's problem is Yuna's problem, so whether or not you accept me or not, I **_will_** go and **_fight_** in the Farplane."

They both stared at one another, each meeting with a balanced intensity. Shuyin knowing he couldn't counter, relented and shrugged with shoulders. "I guess I have no choice....." The blond remarked scratching the back of his head with a regretful sigh.

Yuna's eyes gleamed in excitement. He was finally co-operating with her. "You bet!" She said in a childish giggle, punching her fist in the air with as much enthusiasm which could rival her blonde cousin.

His eyes slightly flickered upwards at the girl's movement, feeling a grin tug at one corner of his lips. "One thing though...."

Yuna's hand dropped to the side, her attention upon the blond once more. "Oh?"

Shuyin tensed his arms at his sides, his voice taking on a sudden fierce tone. "I don't want anyone else helping me, got that!"

Yuna studied his expression, nodding in understanding yet dubious where she was getting herself into. 'What's wrong with my friends helping. Wouldn't we have a better chance with greater numbers?' "Why?" Yuna asked aloud earning a scowl from the blond.

The Blitzball player folded his arms over his chest within a Bahamut stance. "It's my life, and my story and people are not involved with it!" The blond answered sharply, leaving no room for argument.

"Shuyin....." Yuna sighed to herself, unable to say anything more as she felt her head droop downwards to look at the interesting piles of random clothes on the floor.

__

'He still surprises me. I guess he is not as much like Tidus as I thought he was...'

"Yuna?"

The brunette's head snapped up.

"How long will it take for us to get to Zanarkand? It feels like we've been flying for hours."

"Since we've been riding from Besaid, it takes and average of eight hours." Yuna responded, counting off the time on her fingers as she looked over at the cloak on the Bar wall. "That would mean we have six and a half hours to go."

The blond's eyes dilated "Six and a half hours, on this thing?!?" 'What's with their technology....It's so slow and primitive....'

Yuna shrugged her shoulders. "More or less."

'This is gonna be a long journey....' Shuyin mused to himself. 'I apologise Lenne, but I will come to rescue you, no matter how long it takes to get to you.'

"So....." Shuyin began, after realising that he had said nothing over the space of five minutes.

"What?"

Shuyin shrugged his shoulders eyeing the room. The chocobo had once again fallen asleep, and the room was littered with clothes cluttering all areas upon the floor. His eyes flickered in the direction of the mini bar where Yuna had moved to sit on a nearby stool and was idly watching the hands on the clock move in a full circle.

"Is there any food around here, I'm starved." And with that short remark, Shuyin felt his stomach gurgle on its own will, causing Yuna to smile from behind her mouth.

"Yeah, there maybe something left over in the fridge." The brunette answered as she stood up and made her way around the bar and to the fridge, eyeing an unopened pack of sandwiches which were intentionally meant for Rikku.

'Hopefully Rikku won't mind too much,' the girl mused to herself as she pulled the packet out eyeing the label 'Lucan Healthy Eating Salad Sandwiches.'

"I hope he won't mind this," Yuna muttered as she closed the fridge, unaware that the blond was now standing behind her.

"Mind what?"

"OH!" Yuna gasped in surprise of the close proximity, causing Shuyin to chuckle underneath his breath. "There is only one pack of salad sandwiches left."

Shuyin leaned over the girl's packet, eyeing the food then back at Yuna. "Good enough, gimme," he responded eagerly, bringing his hand around and plucking the packet from the girl's fingers, prying it open and eating the contents inside.

"They're really good!" Shuyin commented half stuffing his face, swallowing faster than he could taste.

In those 5 seconds, Yuna could all but blink.

Shuyin paused as he looked at the other sandwich, "Do you want the other one?"

Yuna shook her head quickly, knowing that Shuyin needed the food more than her "No, I'm fine."

Shuyin stared at her for a moment, before tearing a piece off and handing her the larger piece. "Here," he said softly as he swallowed the smaller piece in one swallow. Yuna hesitated before accepting the sandwich, biting into it softly and munching quietly.

"Thanks, that felt good," Shuyin remarked, stretching his arms over his head as he turned towards the centre of the room feeling the wrap on his waist loosen as he strode forward.

"This duvet is really annoying," the blonde said absently, as he grasped on the ends of the material. "It feels like it is going to fall right off again."

Yuna blushed as she saw him reposition it around his waist. "I wish I had some clothes to give......."Yuna began before freezing as a sudden idea came back into her mind. "Oh I remembered. I could loan you a dress-sphere," Yuna said, mentally slapping herself for her silliness.

The blond's eyes furrowed in question. "A dress-sphere. Didn't you mention that word earlier?"

Yuna nodded. "Yes. It is a sphere which you can use to transform your clothes and abilities into something really amazing. You can practically become a warrior, a gunner, a dancer, a Shogun, even a gambler and so many more in a matter of seconds."

The blond's eyes widened in interest "Really? How?" he asked as excitement flickered in his irises.

"Well......" Yuna began, unsure how to explain such a Shinra's complicated invention, when she didn't truly know how it truly functioned. "Um....Your mind becomes connected to the spirit sleeping within the sphere, and through the connection, your body gains the abilities and strengths of the spirit......"

Shuyin scratched the back of his head. "Urrr, not that I want to sound stupid or anything, but I have **no** **idea** what you just said. Well, I got the first bit you said before about gaining abilities and such, but I kinda lost it with the rest."

Yuna flushed in embarrassment, she knew that explaining things wasn't really in her forte. "Well....It's better to see and witness the transformation in person."

"Cool, I'd really like to see that!" the blond responded within a zealous tone, his eyes bright and wide in a childlike look of crazed excitement.

'His emotions are so confusing to me. He looks so genuinely happy and carefree now...it is like he was never angry.....'

Yuna couldn't help but smile at the blond. He seemed to be creating an aura of cheerfulness in the room and it was becoming rather contagious.

"Well, there are some on board and they will help you with your clothing problem."

'I like Shuyin better this way....happiness suits him better than anger....but it feels strange....'

"They're upstairs on the bridge," the brunette added. "I can show you know if you want."

"Awesome!" Shuyin remarked, pumping a fist in the air causing Yuna's smile to become wistful.

__

'Awesome...'

'..his expression......his mannerisms....it is too much like 'him'. He is 'exactly' like him...'

Shuyin oblivious to the girl's thoughts, grasped his wrist and literally dragged her to the doorway. "Come on, come on! I want to try out the warrior gear. Or maybe the Shogun gear, Oh is there a knight gear? Oh I would just love to be in silver armour. Wouldn't I look cool in that, or maybe is there a Blitzball outfit I could wear or-"

Yuna's eyes widened as she felt herself being pulled along by the excited blond, who seemed to be chattering on at a mile a minute and through the portal to the elevator, down the hallway, then to the Bridge.

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'Maybe this new journey won't be as bad as I thought it would be....' Yuna thought softly to herself as she looked down at his hand clasped firmly around hers, then up into the blond's face.

'No, I don't think this journey will be bad at all.....'

..........................................................................................................................................

Oooh I finished the chapter. What do you guys think of my development of Shuyin. He is actually rather hard to develop as his post personality in FFX-2 greatly contrasts Tidus' at the beginning of FFX. I know the main similarity between the two characters is exaggerated passion, and I wanted to develop the conversion of Shuyin's personality in this chapter, that it seemed like Shu had traits of Tidus in him. Do you guys understand what I mean, or do you think I have gone off the deep end.

At the moment, I am listening to 'The Last Samurai' orchestral CD which helped inspire me to write this chapter. That music is so passionately soft and heart-rending especially 'Idyll's end' and the scene when Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) commits Hari Kari, and sees the cherry blossoms swaying in the wind. 'They are all perfect'. That scene really touches me. Oops, I rambling, but any-who, I am just trying to say as a tip to some of you writers out there (although many of you already know), but if you listen to certain styles of music, it can help to establish a scene much better in the mind's eye, and is especially good when you are trying to write a battle scene or a romance scene.

Please review. I look forward to your responses.

Ja ne

Aerseph4eva

Any questions? Comments?

You can contact me by email at........

Aerseph4evayahoo.co.uk


	4. Yellow Feathers, and Mascot spheres

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FFX-2 101 Past and Present combined

Chapter 4

Yellow Feathers, and Mascot spheres

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Hiya you guys. This is Aerseph4eva. I've updated, and I have concentrated more upon the conversations between Shuyin and Yuna, however I am prolonging their relationship for a future climactic scene.

Anywho, I know most of you guys didn't click to read my Author's note......so as I say...

On with the fic!

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_"Maybe this new journey won't be as bad as I thought it would be..." _Yuna thought softly to herself as she looked down at his hand clasped firmly around hers, then up into the blond's face.

"No, I don't think this journey will be bad at all...."

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To say Yuna was afraid would have been a severe understatement to say the least. It didn't help either when she raised her head upwards to meet sparkling blue eyes. Eyes which stared intensely back at her with an insatiable passion. It was in those eyes that made her heart remember that Shuyin was not 'him'. But every time that she saw a twinkle of starlight in his eyes, or the slightest glint of a smile, she couldn't help but wonder upon her original theory.

'Was there a _connection_?' Whether the answer was simple or complex, the bond was there, even though Yuna believed her closeness to the truth rivalled the distance of the very stars in the sky. There was one thing she knew for certain. Shuyin and Tidus had a connection.

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'There has to be..'

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Celsius Ship - Bridge

"Here is the range," Yuna began as she placed another sphere grid alongside her collection of dress-spheres. After attempting to explain the complex intricacies of the dress sphere, Yuna decided that it would be best to simply show Shuyin how it worked. It would then solve his embarrassing problem of dressing properly as opposed to bed sheets. However, the brunette couldn't help but wonder whether it was a wise idea to give Shuyin a dress-sphere. After all, the spheres bore the gifts to learn abilities which would enable him to gain the access to power....

'And to give him such a gift when I am still doubtful of his loyalties...' Yuna pondered, hoping that her kindness won't be what curses her in the end. Nevertheless, Yuna explained the purpose of the sphere-grid and the collection of all the dress-spheres she owned.

Shuyin all the while stared wide eyed in wonder at the unusual magic sources before him on table, vaguely remembering his last fight and his mild bemusement when Yuna was wearing one thing at one moment, and then seemed to be wearing something seconds after.

'How do you know which dress-sphere is which?" Shuyin asked, as he pointed down at the collection of orange orbs that glistened on the table. "They all look the same." Yuna paused in thought, having never thought of such an idea.

"Well...." Yuna began, moving to pick up the '_Thief_' dress-sphere, knowing immediately what it was from the moment her fingers touched the surface.

"I cannot really describe it exactly," she admitted. "But, when I hold the sphere in my hands, I just _know _what power the sphere possesses."

Shuyin's amazement was not hidden within his tone of voice. "_Awesome_. What sphere are you holding now?"

Yuna was about to reply, yet paused when another idea came to her mind.

"Why don't you guess?" the brunette offered as she moved the Thief dress-sphere towards Shuyin's upright palm. The blond accepted it, as his gaze crossed the orb in interest. Blue eyes soon turned upwards to meet the brunette.

"So, what do I do?"

"Concentrate upon your emotions. What do you feel when you hold that dress-sphere in your hands?"

Shuyin shrugged his shoulders in a meek response. "Well nothing really.....just.......a...happiness......enthusiasm....as if I could travel for miles on end......search beneath the seas, and fly beyond the furthest stars for _treasures_ that man has yet to find...." His mouth soon dropped as he realised what he had just said, yet he was still confused by the flow of emotion which symbolised nothing in particular within his mind's eye.

"Wha....what is this?" the blond thought out loud, unable to decipher the feelings running through his being.

Yuna sighed knowingly, relenting to Shuyin's wishes. "It's called the Thief Dress-sphere, Shuyin." Yuna replied, reaching across the table to pluck the orb from the blond's outstretched fingers, before placing back upon the table.

"Thief?" Shuyin's eyes brightened in realisation, his head bobbing up and down in keen understanding. "Ah it makes sense now. I was thinking of gold, treasure and adventure."

Yuna smiled softly, unable to hide her own happiness from seeing the utter expression of delight written across the blond's face. "Yes...that sphere is my cousin Rikku's favourite."

At the mention of another, Shuyin felt his face sober, not particularly caring about some random person who liked this and that. He did not like people. _Period_. So he refused to respond to Yuna's further rambles of this 'Rikku' girl.

"What others are there?" Shuyin interrupted, causing the brunette to pause mid sentence.

"Huh?" Yuna blinked, trying to discern what the blond meant, as her mind was still upon the conversation of her bubbly blonde friend. However realisation soon dawned when she looked across the table to see the blond's face turned downwards to the spheres.

"Oh well-"

Yuna was unable to respond quick enough causing the blonde Blitzballer to intercept again.

"Which sphere is the **_most_** **_powerful_**?"

Yuna's eyes darkened with worry at the connotation of the word, before dissipating into nothingness. Surely Shuyin was curious and was not planning any bad intent upon her. _No, it must have been a mere question_.... "Um...." the brunette began, unable to rid herself of the doubt. "How do you mean **_powerful_**?"

Shuyin shrugged, folding his arms in a casual gesture. "Oh you know, strength wise..." His response did little to calm the brunette, however she did not like the idea upon how she was already pre-judging Shuyin harshly over his simple question. She felt disgusted at herself, from her own selfish accusations. As much as Shuyin was a pretty shady character in the _past_, that did not mean that she had the right to treat him with distaste in the present. Trying to hide the conflict of her insides from her facial expression, Yuna attempted to answer the blond's _innocent _questionby thinking of the physical based spheres in her collection.

"Strength wise....I think that would be a Warrior, Dark Knight or the Berserker........no wait...I know I was given one recently...." Sea hued eyes brightened as she remembered a certain '_Powerful_ _dress_-_sphere_' that she received from Brother.

"Oh this one is very _powerful_." Picking up the sphere from the collection, Yuna quickly passed the chosen orb to the blond who took it in his large palms.

"What is it?" Shuyin asked in curiosity, attempting to draw out the emotions like he did with the earlier dress-sphere. His expression soon fell into a boyish frown when he could feel nothing but his own thoughts. Yuna couldn't help but smile, all her past gloomy thoughts momentarily fading as she wondered how Shuyin would react when he '_transformed_'.

"That is no ordinary sphere. Usually, a sphere holds the memory of a person that is locked away inside the pyreflies. This one however, was especially created by a friend of mine called Shinra. He is an Al Bhed Whiz kid."

Shuyin processed the information into the back of his mind, yet he knew his question was still unanswered. "What is it?" He repeated, unconsciously twirling the small orb around his long fingers, as if he were playing with a miniature Blitzball. His movement from thumb to forefinger caught the attention of Yuna who watched in interest as Shuyin flicked the sphere with his thumb and balanced it upon another digit. The blond caught upon the brunette's scrutiny and paused his actions. Yuna felt her face blush in embarrassment, and not truly understanding why. It was not like she was doing anything wrong, but her stomach felt unusually uppity. Assuming her response was from lack of sleep, Yuna dismissed any other thoughts, flushing once more when she realised that she had forgotten what Shuyin had asked. Voicing out her confusion, to win a look of mock-annoyance from the blond, Shuyin repeated his question once more.

"Why don't you test it?" Yuna asked. Shuyin's expression went blank for a moment, and Yuna couldn't help but giggle softly despite the unnerved feeling that was unfurling inside her stomach.

"It's easy."

"Look. I can show you....I'll change into....." Yuna said as her gaze moved back to sphere collection, picking up the orb she handled earlier. "....this Thief dress-sphere."

"Basically, all you need to do.." Yuna began slowly as she pulled her own grid from her pocket "is to place a dress-sphere upon a empty node on the grid." Clipping the orb in place, the brunette raised her head from her administrations to stare at the tentative blond, smiling shyly when Shuyin smirked at her in response.

Moving a timid hand up to curl back a lock of hair behind her ear, Yuna continued on with her _demonstration_.

"Then, when you are ready to transform, you hold the grid out in front of you and simply 'ask' the sphere to give you the power to aid your friends in battle."

Shuyin looked down from Yuna's face to look at the sphere in his hand, to then look back at the Thief orb inside the sphere-grid. "You just ask the sphere?" the blond questioned, although his tone sounded somewhat doubtful. "Isn't that a little simple, or is there something that I am missing here? How can a mere _rock _respond to my voice."

Yuna shook her head. "The dress-sphere is _more _than a rock, and Shinra adapted the spheres so that any person could transform by using them."

"But...." Shuyin began. "...what do I ask the dress-sphere when I don't even know what it is?"

Yuna's eyebrow furrowed. '_Good_ _question_.' However, the brunette didn't want to ruin the blond's surprise and so replied. "That sphere is connected to all that is powerful, so why don't you ask for that....?"

The blond nodded, finally understanding. "Alrighty," he agreed, as he turned his attention towards the sphere in his hands. His eyes soon slid closed in concentration, while he slowly moved his lips in contemplation upon what to ask. As the words came into his mind, he was broken out of thought by a soft tapping upon his shoulder. Cracking one eye open, Shuyin saw Yuna staring up at him with a gentle smile upon her face.

"You forgot, this......" she said softly, as she moved a 'sphere grid' into his vision.

"Oh....sorry..." Correcting his previous mistake, Shuyin once again closed his eyes and called out for power. Nothing happened, and he was about to complain to Yuna before he felt something shift around him. It felt like he had pyreflies glaring in his vision, as a welcoming heat spiralled from his sphere grid, into his finger tips, before flaring out into a white light which invaded all his vision.

Yuna gasped in fascination at the visual sight of Shuyin's duvet suddenly dematerialising, leaving him naked in a split second to then become completely bathed within a golden light. His torso arched backwards, causing the blond to reveal the full column of his neck while his arms stretched out from his sides. The light surrounded Shuyin and then engulfed his form entirely that Yuna had to close her eyes from the intense brightness.

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Then there was silence.

A noise, which sounded closely to the sound of a strangled bird pierced the air.....

When Yuna was sure that the light had not blinded her, she opened her eyes once again, and gasped sharply at what now stood before her. She could only process one thought in her mind.

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Yellow......a yellow feather.

A singular yellow feather sat perched upon Shuyin's nose, and from his expression, that seemed the only thing in existence that he was aware of.

"Oh my...."

A crack of a smile, follow soon by a giggle, and before Yuna knew it, she was rolling in fits of laughter. She couldn't believe it...

Shuyin was a......_Chocobo_!

Shuyin blinked in confusion, still in a daze from the magical surge of energy that pulsed into his veins. However, his attention soon caught upon an odd tickly upon his nose. Blue eyes instantly locked upon the yellow plume that had perched itself upon the bridge of his nose. Shuyin wrinkled his nose in a lazy attempt to dislodge to feather, before raising his left arm to catch sight of....more yellow feathers! He slowly looked down and yelped out in surprise, leaping back and tripping over an object that was directly behind him. Picking up the accursed item, Shuyin brought the object to his gaze to then feel his mind falter in a relapse which could only be caused by horrific trauma.

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"A head..."

The colour soon drained from his face when he realised what he was holding in his hands.

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"A chocobo head...."

Shuyin shrieked out in surprise as he dropped the 'head' to the floor, his body twisting around to seek guidance from Yuna who was lying on the floor in laughter?

His surprise soon faded as he watched the brunette roll her head to the side in hysterics, seeing the way her shoulders quaked with mirth.

"It is only a costume..." Yuna said between gasps, taking one moment to look at the befuddled blond to fall back into uncontrolled giggles.

Through the infamous style of the Mascot sphere, it made all users transform into a entity which reflected their personality the most. Yuna herself became a Moogle, Shinra explaining it to her that a Mog were known for being shy and innocent creatures that were connected to magic and mystery. Rikku became a cat called 'Cait Sith' from which Shinra explained was once a popular toy, renowned for being loud, annoying and very very much like a certain blonde haired Al Bhed. Paine however became a Tonberry, a fiend infamously known for being one of the most dangerous and foreboding creatures in all of Spira. Their passive faces, and sharp blade was more than enough similarity to the cold, aloof crimson eyed warrior.

But Shuyin to become.......a chocobo...? As for the blondish feathery hair, and the wide innocent blue eyes.....Yuna couldn't see any other similarity.

The small stubby tail behind Shuyin nearly did her in with fits of laughter, however she managed to compose herself when she looked at the blond's relatively dark expression.

"What the hell is this?" Shuyin all but cried out, his surprise changing into mixed confusion and irritation.

The bulkiness of the chocobo Mascot sphere bore a gaudy look, which hid Shuyin's impressive muscular and lean build into a bulky mass of yellow feathers and a pair of brown bird talons for feet.

"Is this a joke? You didn't say I was gonna turn into a _bloody_ _friggen_ _chocobo_!"

His face changed from burning with embarrassment, to frowning in anger. However, another giggle from Yuna made his composure slip and he couldn't help but chuckle despite his apparent disgust at what he was wearing.

"You think this is funny?"

Yuna nodded. "..it kinda suits you....."

"Well..." Shuyin began as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"This is certainly not what I expected...."

Yuna hid her smile beneath her hand. "I responded pretty much the same way as you did, when I first used the Mascot sphere," she admitted, her eyes twinkling with semi disguised mirth. Noticing the blond's attention, she added. "You wouldn't believe that this sphere is the strongest of them all."

"No shit?" Shuyin swore in awe, looking down at his attire, half disbelieving that it was true. Then raised his head in time to see Yuna's flinch at his highly colourful language.

"Sorry, I swear too much..." Shuyin apologised lightly, although he couldn't get over the fact that he was wearing.....a _Chocobo_ costume... He took a few steps forward with his large bird feet, flapping his wings in feigned childish amusement, pausing to shake his head.

"There is _no way_ that I could fight in this.....no....I would never be able to fight in this!" Shuyin exclaimed, flabbergasted as he looked down at himself then towards the chocobo head that he threw to the floor. Picking up the last piece of his Mascot outfit from the floor, Shuyin stared at the all too cutesy expression with a look of mild distaste. He had to admit that the chocobo face looked awfully real, and that was why he was so surprised when he first saw it. After feeling his natural composure calm back down to normal levels, Shuyin moved his attention towards Yuna and raised a wry eyebrow in question.

"I look like an idiot," Shuyin stated in a deadpan voice, dropping the chocobo head to his feet.

The brunette tilted her head, crossing her arms over her chest in contemplation. "No you don't, you actually look....quite cute beneath all those feathers...." Yuna admitted, causing her eyes to crinkle at the corners.

The blond's head whipped up in surprise. "Cute?" He asked amiably, feeling his face heat up in slight embarrassment.

Yuna nodded, letting out a loose giggle at Shuyin's befuddled expression.

Shuyin shrugged his shoulders, as he let out a small chuckle of his own. "Ah well... I guess I could get used to this thing if it will help me save Lenne...."

At the mention of her name, both Shuyin and Yuna dropped their smiles, their tender moment broken at the realisation of their mutual expressions of kindness glinting in their partner's eyes. Breaking eye contact, Yuna turned away in shyness, moving her face down to stare out the windows of the Celsius, while Shuyin watched the brunette in interest, unsure of what exactly occurred between them. Looking down at his adorned feathers then back to the brunette, he realised another problem.

"Um...Yuna?" The blond asked, trying to get the brunette's attention.

Yuna kept her gaze towards the moving clouds, giving a momentary pause before replying. "What?"

Plastering on his trademark sheepish expression, Shuyin asked, "Um...How do I get out of this thing?"

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I'll leave it there. I know it has taken me a LONG TIME to update and I'm sorry. The reason for this is that I am currently attempting to Beta read my To Love an Ancient fic, and correct **_all_** the grammar and spelling mistakes which I missed..sigh. And at the same time I am trying to update my Sephiroth and Tifa fic, My Sailor Moon fic, contemplating about writing an Escaflowne Folken/Hitomi fic, and also a Yugioh Seto Kaiba/Anzu/Bakura and Yami/Anzu fic....Quite a lot of work ne? Anywho, what do you guys think of Shuyin being a Chocobo? Somehow, it really suits his style. chuckle. I know this chapter is REALLY short for my style, but I wanted to do my rounds of updating, since this fic seems to be a favourite to my fellow readers.

Please read and review you guys so I know that you are still supporting this fic,

Ja ne

Aer-seph4eva

Any questions? Comments?

You can notify me by my email address.

Click on my name at the top of the page for a quicker access.

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P.S

Oh, do any of you guys know of any good Shuyin/Yuna LONG fics besides Silver Wings. I love that trilogy (ahem I'm going off the point)...If you do, is it possible if you can place it within the review? I would very much appreciate it. It is always easy to find short non-canon couples, but it seems to be a challenge to find odd couples in long epical fics which transcend all others in its field. If you guys know of any mind-blowing fics within the relationships of the pairs listed below. I would be grateful if you add the information to your review or a email.

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SAILORMOON

Shitennou/Sailor senshi

The four generals/Sailor scouts

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FFVII

Aeris/Sephiroth

Fics about Advent Children.

Cloud/Sephiroth

Tifa/Sephiroth

Vincent/Aeris

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FFX

Shuyin/Yuna

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KINGDOM HEARTS

Aeris/Sephiroth

Riku/Sora

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YUGIOH

Seto Kaiba/Anzu (Tea Gardner)

Yami/Anzu (Tea)

Yami Bakura/ Anzu (Tea)

Marik/Anzu (Tea)

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ESCAFLOWNE

Folken/Hitomi


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